


Light Handed

by AshRain114



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Anduin is 19 for my peace of mind, Anduin/Oc, F/M, Legion - Freeform, OC, OFC - Freeform, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, World of Warcraft - Freeform, World of Warcraft Legion, Wow, a bunch of other characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 11:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 104,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10359507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshRain114/pseuds/AshRain114
Summary: Addy Fairchild was just trying to make ends meet when the Legion decided to attack her home in Westfall. Angry and determined to fight back, Addy soon finds herself in the middle of a much larger fight than she could have ever imagined. Legion based. Anduin Wrynn/OC





	1. Sentinel Hill

It was colder that morning. A low wind howled over the flat, barren land and whistled through the cracks and leaks in the small hut she called a home. She pulled her small, threadbare blanket closer around herself and pressed her hands between her legs to keep her fingers warm. It was the first sign of the cold season. During the long summer, the winds from Stranglethorn made the air warm and damp. But the winter winds blew east from Duskwood, much colder, but still damp, piercing her clothing and chilling her right to the bones.

The sun hadn’t yet risen above the horizon, but Addy was awake, shivering and teeth chattering. She knew sleep had long abandoned her, but her eyes were still heavy, still longing to go back to their slumber.

But eventually she groaned, sitting up in her straw mattress, stretching her muscles, stiff and sore. She stumbled to her feet, wincing as her bare toes touched the cold stone floor. She reached blindly for her cloak, huddling it around herself as she tip toed over to the fireplace. She hurriedly gathered the kindling and firewood she kept nearby, striking at the flint until she had a roaring fire, lighting up the dark room.

She collapsed on the floor next to the fire, curling her cloak around her as she warmed her hands and feet. The cold winds had come early, and she wasn’t prepared. She hadn’t run the fire all summer and she was low on wood and kindling. She’d need a new blanket and cloak, and some more nails to fix the numerous holes in the ceiling. The cold winds almost always carried rain with them.

She climbed to her feet, walking over to the table in the corner of her small cottage, grabbing her coin purse and opening it. A single silver piece and five copper pieces - enough to buy food for the next few weeks, but not much else.

Which meant a trip to the Hill.

Addy grumbled as she pulled herself to her feet. She had been planning to head to Sentinel Hill to sell her new stock in a weeks time, when it was finished. As it was now she'd likely have to make a second trip before winter.

She walked to the door of her cottage, pulling her cloak tightly around herself to block the wind as she wandered out into the small vineyard she called home. It was nowhere near the size it had been when her grandfather had run it, when the rows of grapes had run over the neighbouring hill and his wine was sold as far north as Ironforge. But while grapes were easier to grow in the fallow earth than most other crops, the famine had hit her hard as well. Gone were the dozens of workers and constant inflow of money. Now, only she worked the vines, growing them and making wine to sell to the locals. She wasn’t particularly good at making wine, and most of her stock was a bit too bitter and left a strange aftertaste - but most of the soldiers and heroes sent by Stormwind were young and inexperienced and couldn’t tell the difference.

She checked on the vines first, inspecting the grapes. She hoped the cold snap overnight hadn’t damaged them. They were her last crop of the summer and their wine would hopefully strive off starvation through the winter.

Luckily, they seemed fine. She grabbed a few and popped them in her mouth to test their ripeness, pulling a face at the burst of sour on her tongue. They definitely needed another couple of weeks to ripen.

She hurried to the other side of the vineyard, grabbing a rusty key and opening a cellar door beside her hut, descending into the dark, freezing basement. She hummed to herself as she quickly lit a few candles to light the room, then looked into the old rusty buckets around the dark room which held slowly fermenting grapes. She dipped a finger in and touched it to her tongue, nodding as she walked over to her finished product. Half a dozen bottled, corked and ready to go. They were from last winter, the newer spring bottles sitting behind them. She grabbed them all and placed them into a cloth bag with a frown. She hoped it would be enough for what she needed.

She hooked the bag of wine bottles over her shoulders, adding a water skin and some jerky for the trip. Before she left, she knelt by the floor of the cellar, peeling up one of the rotten floorboards. She smiled to herself as she reached into the hole and pulled out a long hand-and-a-half broadsword, sheathed in poor leather. It was probably the most expensive item she owned, but she couldn’t ever bring herself to sell it. It was a reminder of a life that could have been…

She attached it to her back, making sure it would be within reach should she need it. She always brought it with her, both as a security against any wayward bandits or gnolls, and also in case she needed to make an expensive purchase. She didn’t want to sell it, but she would in a second if she needed to.

The road to Sentinel Hill used to be rife with dangers - she wouldn’t have dared walked alone on the main road a few years earlier. If bandits and gnolls didn’t kill you, the Defias sure would have. But in the years since the Defias was defeated there was a much more noticeable presence from Stormwind, and it wasn’t uncommon to see the Alliance banner flying along the roads accompanying patrolling soldiers. Most of them would check the locals farms out if they passed, to discourage bandits from attacking. While many of the people of Westfall had mixed feelings for the crown, everyone agreed that the soldiers had made the roads much safer, and were a welcome presence.

The walk to Sentinel Hill wasn’t terribly long, she could actually see the tower from her home. But it was so flat in Westfall one could see for miles. Once all you could see was wheat as far as the horizon. Now the ground was the same colour, but from the dead grass on dead fields that didn’t have enough nutrients to feed the weeds.

She started her walk when the sun had barely passed the horizon. It would take a few hours to make the familiar trek and she passed the time by whistling old songs from her childhood. When she was a child her grandfather would sing songs from his days as a sailor and they were as fresh in her mind as if he'd sung them yesterday

The closer she got to The Hill, the more people she saw milling around. Most were homeless farmers, sitting in tent cities on the countryside. A few of them said hello, trying to sell her baubles and trinkets they’d crafted out of scarp materials. She always felt terrible turning them down, but she just didn’t have the coin to spare. She tried to avoid eye contact, keeping one hand on her ware as she approached the Hill.

When she was a kid she thought Sentinel Hill had the biggest tower in the world. Of course she’d probably seen bigger back in Stratholme, but against the flat landscape the tower had seemed giant. The world world was so much bigger when you were a child.

But now she could see it for what it was. A crumbling ruined wall surrounding a single guard tower patched together with wooden boards and nails, a sad shadow of its former glory. A small number of homes were scattered around the hill, mostly used to house the soldiers who manned it.

She walked through the small encampment, nodding and smiling at the people who lived there and recognized her. A few stopped to say hello and ask how she was. Addy gave them quick short answers, but then went on her way, searching for someone in particular. It didn't take long to find him. He stood at the entrance to the tower, speaking with several soldiers and pointing to several points around the hill. The men nodded, saluted, and went on their way.

Addy ran up towards him, waving wildly to get his attention.

“Gryan!” She shouted. The man turned to her, his eyes crinkling in a smile as he beamed at her. He was tall, and well muscled with wrinkles around his eyes and salt and pepper hair that fell past his ears. Addy was sure he’d been something of a lady killer when he was younger, and even now she’d heard some of the older women in town giggling behind their hands when the aging paladin passed by with his men.

He walked down the hill, holding his arms out as he beamed at her, “Addy!”

She wrapped her arms around him as he hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around as she laughed.

“It’s been ages!” He grunted, putting her down, “Light, you’re not as small as you used too be.”

She smacked his chest playfully, “You’re just getting old.”

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head, “I’ve missed you, Addy. You should come visit more often.”

They started to walk along the path in a comfortable stride. Addy smiling at the familiarity of the surroundings. “I can’t afford to leave as often anymore.”

Gryan frowned, but looked unsurprised, “Are you still living all by yourself out there?”

Addy rolled her eyes at his concern, smiling, “It’s fine, Gryan. Your patrols come by every few days anyways.”

“I don’t know…” Gryan shook his head, “I still think you should move here. I’d feel a lot better if you were closer."

Addy smiled at the old man fondly. Gryan was a well loved leader amongst the people in Westfall. The man had started the People’s Militia when the Defias Brotherhood had taken over the land, defending it when Stormwind hadn’t been able too. Now the Defias was all but gone from the land and Westfall was secure and mostly safe for the first time in decades. For a man like Gryan Stoutmantle, it had been hard to let go of a past like that. He'd taken some of his men North to fight during the Northrend Campaign, but after the death of the Lich King he'd ended up back home in Westfall.

“It’s perfectly safe.” Addy assured him, “Besides those grapes are my only source of income. Without them I’d be homeless.”

“You could come live with me.” He offered. “The countryside is no place for a young woman to be living alone.”

Addy knew the man was sincere. He’d been friends with her grandfather, and she’d known him since she’d come to live here as a child. Most of the original militia members had watched her grow up here, but Gryan had always been closer than that.

She waved off his concerns, “I’m fine Gryan. If you’re so worried about me, you should make time to come visit.”

He chuckled, nodding his head, “You’re right. I’m sorry I haven’t been around much - been training some of the new stock from Stormwind.”

He motioned his hand to a group of young recruits, none older than about twenty, who were all standing around looking rather bored. Probably not the glamorous lifestyle they thought they’d lead as Knights or warriors.

“Speaking of new stock.” Gryan continued, “I suppose this isn’t a social visit?”

“No.” Addy reached into her bag, pulling out one of the bottles, “Cold snap hit last night, hoping to sell and buy some supplies.”

“You running low on food?” Gryan sounded concerned, “Because you know Stormwind sends us surplus, and every citizen is welcome if they need it."

Addy wrinkled her nose, “I’m not there yet, give it to someone who needs it. Besides, I’m not here for food. It’s getting colder, I need to stock up for the winter.”   
Gryan inspected a wagon as they passed, and Addy stopped with him. He turned his head to look at her, “What kind of supplies are you looking for?”

“Nails, for a leaky ceiling." Addy listed, "A winter cloak, and new gloves if I can afford it - mine have worn a bit thin. And a warmer blanket.”

They continued their walk, Gryan stepping in beside her, “We’ve got some iron nails laying around that we could lend you, a blanket too if you want.”

“How much?” Addy asked, feeling for her change purse.

“Come on, Addy.” Gryan stopped walking, turning to face her with exasperation, “Must we play this game?”

“I don’t need any charity." Addy argued, feeling the age old irritation growing with her. They had this argument every time she came to town. She always lost, “There are people without homes, living in the dirt and cold - they need these things more than I do. I can pay.”

“Barely.” He mumbled, and Addy glared at him. He rubbed his hand down his face, fiddling at his beard, “Addy, I’m not offering you anything I wouldn’t offer any other man, woman, or child. And I’d rather you get the nails from me than some blacksmith who made them half-assed out of bad iron.”

She knew he was right. Bad nails would rust and break easily. And the last thing she wanted was for the roof to cave in in the middle of the winter.

“Fine.” She gritted her teeth, “But at least let me give you a few copper for the blanket.”

“One.”

“Five.”

“Two.”

“Four.”

He gave her a look, “Two.”

She hesitated before nodding, “Fine. Two.”

She handed him the two coppers and he pocketed them. “As for cloaks and gloves I’d ask Gina, maybe Will. I know they won’t try to overcharge you. Otherwise you’ll have to take your chances with any travellers.”

He motioned to a small camp at the base of the tower. Most of the men surrounding it were guards, both from Westfall and Stormwind. But every now and then she saw a stranger dressed in mix-matched leathers and armour. Heroes and other mercenaries who thought they’d come here to help save the poor people of Westfall from their own misfortune. Usually they had odd items they’d picked up in their adventures that they would sell. But the prices they were looking for were usually higher than she could afford.

She gnawed at her lips, fiddling at the belt around her shoulders from which her sword hung. Gryan caught her eye and looked down.

“You’re not thinking about selling it, are you?” He didn’t sound disappointed, just saddened by the inevitable. They both knew that a day would come when she’d need too.

Addy swallowed, “Not unless I have too.”

Gryan stared at her for a few moments, searching for something. She avoided his eyes, hoping he understood that she didn’t want to have that conversation again. After a few moments he sighed and they continued their walk in silence.

There was always awkwardness surrounding this particular topic of conversation. How five years earlier Gryan had taken her on as an apprentice of sorts, training her to be a Paladin. It had come naturally to her, the light flowing through her like a faucet, ready for her manipulation into attacks and strikes that could take down men three times her size.

But that was over now. Gryan was a good man, but not a particularly good Paladin. He could train her to use a sword, and the very basics light based spells, but to receive proper training she’d need to go to Stormwind. And that was nothing but a dream. No Paladin worth his hammer would accept her as a student - she couldn’t afford a proper weapon, let alone a full suit of armour. And moving to Stormwind was nothing but a fairytale.

Gryan had offered to buy armour for her, but it was only a gesture. He couldn’t afford it anymore than she could. She knew he felt guilty he couldn’t give her more training, and felt like he’d limited her future. Every time she came to town they would argue about it.

She felt her stomach jump other throat at the thought. The last winter had been rough, and she’d had to use her savings to stave off starvation - the savings she'd been building since she was young, to hopefully pay for training. Gryan would understand, but she couldn’t bare to see the heartbroken look of disappointment.

A solider ran over and quickly got Gryan’s attention. He apologized to her, giving her a quick hug before jogging off back towards the tower. Left alone, Addy made her way to the camp by the tower where several people, men and women of various races, where hanging out around a campfire, some sparring, others sleeping under tents in sleeping mats.

A few of them were regulars, mostly human mercenaries and heroes from Elywnn who hadn’t grown bored and moved onto Duskwood yet. There was a dwarf passed out under a tent, and even a few Night Elves whispering in hushed Darnassian at the fire.

Addy gave them all a polite smile as she approached, “Hello.”

One of the heroes, a boy only a few years older than her waved his hand at her, “Addy! My Hero!”

“Hello James.” She smiled at him, trying not to blush. He was a very handsome boy, only a few years older than her. His large doe eyes were sparkling amber and he had a button nose. His hair was in a constant stat of mess, and she'd used to imagine what it would be like to run her hands through it. “How are you?”

“I’m very good.” He held up a sack of coin, “Just got back from selling some goods in Stormwind, so I can live a few weeks without having to kill a Gnoll.” He shuddered lightly.

Addy eye’d the bag of coin with greedy eyes, trying not to make it too obvious, “I hope you didn’t fill up on any of that good Stormwind brew.”

He beamed at her, “And miss out on my Best Girls wine? Never.”

Addy flushed right down to her roots.

“How much you sellin’ for girl?” A silver haired solider sitting nearby spoke, an older man that Addy usually saw around here. She didn’t know his name, and he never called her anything but ‘girl’, but he always bought from her.

“Silver a bottle.” She told them. Honestly that was a bit steep - her bottles probably weren’t worth more than a handful of coppers, but a girl had to eat.

He grunted, fishing in his pocket and pulling out a silver, flipping it to her. She stumbled a bit to catch it, fumbling it a bit before she discreetly slipped it into the pocket of her apron. She pulled a bottle out of her bag and handed it to him.

“Give me a couple.” James handed her two silver, his smile blinding. Addy avoiding stuttering like an idiot when she thanked him, her face warm as her hands brushed against his lightly. She handed him two bottles and he winked at her lightly. She almost broke the bottles.

She quickly sold the last two bottles she had with her and said goodbye, giving James one more shy smile before she walked away. She supposed she might meet up with him later in his tent. It would hardly be the first time she'd spent the night with him. It was because of those nights that James knew just how to make a fool of her.

It had been profitable trip - her pocket was now five silver thicker, more than she had hoped. She might actually have some left over at the end of the day.

But, of course, she wouldn’t ever find out.

Because in that moment, the entire world exploded


	2. The Invasion of Westfall

She wasn’t sure what had happened. One moment she was walking down the Hill, counting the coin in her purse, and the next she was flying through the air. She hit the ground hard on her back knocking the wind out of her. She wheezed tightly, turning on her side and coughing, struggling to take in breath. She was absentmindedly aware of her empty bag under her back and she was glad that the bottles were no longer in it.

She sucked in air, finally feeling her lungs expand, only to start coughing immediately as she inhaled smoke. The stink of burning grass and wood filled her nose, and her eyes stung and watered as she tried to take stock of her surroundings. 

She didn’t know what she was seeing. Everything sounded so far away, people screaming and crying - men shouting orders over the panicked masses running around.

Addy climbed to her hands and knees and quickly started to crawl to cover, hiding near a series of barrels near a house as she tied to take stock of her situation.

They were under attack, gnolls probably. She couldn’t see any, but this kind of firepower couldn’t have come from bandits. Her stomach climbed to her throat at the idea of the Defias attacking - but she quickly threw that idea away. The Defias were gone.

She unclipped her belt, letting it fall to the ground. She yanked out the iron sword, abandoning the leather sheath and climbed to her feet. She moved to the side of the house in front of her and pressed her back against it, holding the sword like Gryan had taught her and looking out to the field in front of her.

Only to freeze, as she finally got a look at the battle in front of her.

The sky, which had been clear and blue for the most of the day, had turned to an acidic green. A swirling black mass had opened up in the middle of the sky and huge balls of green flame shot out of it. Where the balls hit the ground, fire erupted and huge monsters of rock and flame formed before her eyes. Other winged beasts with fangs and horns were running around, attacking the homeless and sending blasts of magic towards the few that dared fight them.

She swallowed the bile rising in her throat, and gripped her sword tighter, looking around for an escape route. But every direction she looked there were more monsters, more demons.

She didn’t ask why there were demons here, Westfall of all places. It didn’t matter. If she thought to much about it she knew her sanity would abandon her. She needed to keep a straight head for now - she had time to freak out later.

She scanned the crowds of people for Gryan, and through the smoke she saw him at the entrance to the tower, shouting orders as he looked out at the carnage around him. She steeled herself, nodding lightly. She just needed to get to him, then she could figure out the next step.

She heard a snarl nearby and froze. Keeping still in case the beast hadn't seen her she flickered her eyes to the left, trying to catch sight of what had made the noise.

A large boar like beast was standing only ten feet away, snarling and puffing smoke out of its nose. Its black, beady eyes were fixed on her, holding more intelligence than any animal she’d ever seen. Its teeth were long and spiny, long spikes jutted out of the beast at every angle.

Addy swallowed, turning her body to face the creature, her hands shaking. She’d killed boars before. Boars ran wild in Westfall, most of them descendants from their domesticated brethren. But this wasn’t a boar - it was a demon, a Felhunter, and no matter how much of an animal it looked like, it was probably smarter than she was.

It leapt at her and Addy screamed as it knocked her to the ground, the sword cut into her painfully, before flying out of her hands. She kicked out with her foot, making contact with the demons chest and sending it flying. She quickly rolled and tried to reach for her blade, but a second later the demon was back on her. It grabbed her ankle, its teeth biting into the tender skin as it dragged her back. She screamed, kicking at it until it let go. She rolled onto her back to get a look at it just in time for it to leap upon her.

The demon pinned her down and opened its mouth to take a bite out of her. Addy threw her hands up, holding its mouth open and away from her, which cause it to snarl in anger. A long drop of acidic green saliva dripped from its open mouth,splashing onto her neck.

Addy screamed as the drool sizzled and burned her. Her vision went white as it ate through her skin, dripping down and spreading behind her jaw and the back of her head. She ached to wipe it off, but she couldn't move, using all of her focus and energy in keeping the demon from eating her face. The felhunter lurched forward and Addy force it to one side of her head, and then the other. The Demon spat out chunks of dirt and grass and roared in anger.

She let out a sob, knowing she wouldn’t be able to keep it up. Eventually it would overpower and kill her. She tried to take note of her surroundings as best she could, struggling to dislodge herself from the thrashing Felhunter, and holding its jaws away from her face

She spotted her sword on the ground a few feet away and immediately knew it was her only option. 

She looked between her sword and the demon trapping her to the ground, her hands still trying to hold its jaws away from her. She knew that if she were to go for the sword, she’d have to let go - meaning that if she messed it up, she’d probably die in the most gruesome manner possible. But if she didn't, her arms would weaken and the beast would kill her anyways.

She looked back at the sword once more, quickly making up her mind.

In one swift move she brought her knees up to her chest underneath the beast, flexing her feet and pressing them against the stomach of the beast. When the demon reared back to try and attack her again she let go of its jaw and pushed everything she had into her legs, extending them and kicking the beast off of her.

It yipped as stumbled off of her, tripping and falling to to the ground. Addy didn’t wait to watch it regain its footing. She turned on her stomach and crawled over to her sword, grabbing it by the blade. She ignore the sharp pain as it cut into her fingers. She could already hear the beast behind her, and without thinking she turned onto her back and pointed the sword straight up.

The demon, which had launched itself at her, impaled itself onto her sword, stomach first. Addy didn’t dare move, watching with wide eyes as the boar like creature sunk to the ground, the intelligent life leaving its eyes until finally it stopped moving entirely.

She let out a deep breathe and tried to take another one in, but it was interrupted by a choking sob escaping her throat. The pain on her neck had escaped to a low throb but she used her apron to gently wipe away the rest of the acidic drool, trying to ignore the blood coming off with it. She tossed it aside, looking up, her eyes wild as she tried to take stock of what was happening around her.

There were piles of dead demons, but they were outnumbered by the sheer amount of dead people. She could see the bodies of the two night elves by the fire, holding their hands in death, numerous members of the stormwind guard, their tabards covered in blood. Every now and then she saw a face she knew and her eyes filled with tears, blurring the world into a mess of green and black.

“Addy!”

Everything sounded like it was underwater, she couldn’t hear anything but rushing through her ears. She looked around, trying to clear her head as she looked for who had spoken.

“Addy? Can you hear me?”

She blinked rapidly, the tears that had filled her eyes fell, clearing her vision. Kneeling in front of her was James, who she'd sold wine to only moments before. Somehow it felt like it had been hours, but she knew only a few minutes had passed.

“James?” Her voice was small and full of fear.

He gave her a wide smile, “Hey there. You okay?”

Addy looked at him, then down at the felhunter still impaled on her sword, “I killed it.”

“I can see that.” He chuckled, cupping her cheeks lightly. “Good Job. Think you can stand up? We probably shouldn’t stay here right now.”

She nodded, pulling her sword out of the demon, trying to ignore the stream of viscous black blood that came with it. The sheath had long since vanished, so all she could do is hold it in her hands as she climbed to her feet.

“You good?” He asked, and she nodded quickly, doing all she could to keep from breaking down. James leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head, then pointed towards the guard tower, “We’re going to make a run for it okay? Can you do that?" 

Addy didn't respond, just looking at the guard tower blankly. Gryan had been there earlier.

"Hey!” He snapped his fingers in front of her a few times and Addy brought her attention to him, trying her hardest to focus, “I know you’re scared, and probably confused. But right now I need you to pay attention.” she nodded, her eyes wide as she stared at him. He reached down and grabbed her hand, gripping it tightly, looking her in the eye. “No matter what happens, you keep running towards that tower. Don’t stop for anything, get there, get inside. Do you understand?”

Addy started to feel the fog in her brain lift as she was given direction. Run to the tower. She could do that. Don’t stop for anything.

She gave him a sharp nod.

“Say it!”

“Yes!” She shouted, her voice cracking, “Yes I understand! I can do it!”

“Good.” He reached to his belt and pulled out two one-handed swords, spinning them a few times and holding them outright. “Ready?”

Addy grabbed her sword with both hands, holding it out in front of her. She tried to remember everything that Gryan had taught her and cursed herself that she hadn’t practiced in years. She nodded once more to James.

And then they ran.

Running with a two-handed sword was much harder than she ever could have imagined. Working in farmlands all her life had made her strong, but the sword was very heavy and awkward and it took all of her concentration not to accidentally swing it into James. He didn’t seem to be having any troubles with his swords, turning as he ran, his eyes scanning all around him for danger. 

“We seem to be in the clear!” He laughed, “Keep running!”

Addy didn’t argue, pumping her legs as much as she could as she ran up the hill. James held back, running behind her a ways and she felt safer knowing he had her back.

When she reached the top of the hill she felt two hands grab her. She went to swing her sword but she quickly realized that it was a Stormwind guard, trying to push her towards the door of the tower.

She turned to look back for James, quickly spotting him running for the keep. Her eyes went behind him and her heart froze.

“James!” She shrieked in warning.

He looked behind him, but it was too late. A piercing scream filled the air as a felbat swooped down, sinking its talons into James and taking off into the air. Addy covered her mouth with her hands, looking down and closing her eyes. 

A second later, James’ screaming stopped.

She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat going all but limp as the soldiers dragged her towards the door to the fort. She dropped her eyes to the dirt, not wanting to see anything else.

She stopped moving once the soldiers let her go. She forced herself to stay upright, not wanting to embarrass herself by collapsing. She became aware of her sword dragging on the floor beside her, still covered in the thick demon blood. She reaffirmed her grip on it, swallowing again as she looked around.

She was inside the tower now, and she let out a low breath realizing that she was safe for the moment. Slowly she felt her breathing even out and she could hear things other than the pounding of blood in her ears. She looked around the room, trying to fill her mind with something other than James' terrified face. 

All around her were crying people, many with bloody injuries, in huddled masses on the floor. soldiers were running around giving orders and a few healers were hurriedly trying to help those with the worst injuries. She wasn't sure what was worse: and sheer amount of people injured and bleeding, or the fact that only a fraction of people who lived at the Hill we're in the tower. Which meant that there were still people outside...or dead.

A low crying caught Addy's attention and her eyes flickered to the right. There was a little girl in a ratty blue dress with white ribbons in her black curly hair. She was cuddled in the corner, holding a bloody hand to her chest. Addy looked around for a healer, but everyone was focused on the dying, and there wasn't anybody to help the little girl.

Addy felt her feet moving before she'd made the conscious decision to walk over. She tried to look friendly and not like the dirty, bloody picture that she must've made.

When she reached the girl she knelt down, placing the sword flat on the ground beside her. She cleared her throat, “Er....what's your name?” She asked calmly, trying to appear kind.

The girl stopped her screeching, sniffing madly as she sobbed out, “K-Katie.”

“Hi Katie.” Addy tried to smile, but it probably looked like a grimace. She looked down at the bleeding hand, “Are you hurt?”

Katie nodded, weeping lightly. She held up her hand and Addy felt her heart almost stop as she looked at the mangled mess of fingers, blood pouring from the wound and over her dress. It looked like it had been mangled by a rabid dog.

“Oh.” Addy hoped she didn’t look as shocked as she felt, and looked at the girl, swallowing. “It’s not too bad." She lied, "I bet it hurts."

She nodded, continuing to cry.

Addy looked around desperately for a healer, but there were all dealing with other patients. She bit her lip, looking down at her hands, then up at the girl. She hadn't healed anyone in years, but she remembered the basics.

“I’m going to help okay?” She assured the girl, who sniffed, “But I need to see your hand. Can you hold it out for me?”

Katie hesitated, then held her hand out in front of her. It was shaking and the sight of it only made the girl cry harder. Addy hoped she looked reassuring as she placed both of her hands over the injury and closed her eyes.

It had been years since she’d called on the light, but Gryan had always said she had a gift for it. He’d taught her how to fight with the light, and also how to heal with it. And while she couldn’t heal large life threatening injuries, she could fix moderate wounds like this.

She reached out with her mind, taking low breaths as she sought out the light. Immediately she located it within her, but it was so very far away. She struggled to reach it, but it felt just out of reach.

She opened her eyes, huffing in frustration, but closed them immediately, not wanting to see the scared face of the little girl depending on her.

She tried to think back to her training, remembering what Gryan had taught her. The light was like an entity, we don’t use it, it uses us.

She swallowed and reached inside her again, until she could barely touch it.

‘Please’ She asked, feeling a little stupid, ‘Help her’

She felt a burst of warmth from her palms and she opened her eyes, looking down in shock. a warm yellow light was illuminating downwards over the hands of the girl. Addy watched as the wounds on the girls hands closed and stopped for a moment. She made the girl close her eyes as she moved her fingers back into their joints, making her cry again.

She started to feel drained and immediately cut of the connection to the light, not wanting to completely exhaust herself. Once she had done so she felt dizzy and almost fell over, feeling incredibly out of breath. She swallowed shame at letting such a small injury tire her so quickly. She hadn't realized just how out of practice she was.

The girl sniffled, looking at her hand with bright eyes, filled with unshed tears, “T-Thank you.”

Addy let out a low breath, feeling more in control then she had since this whole thing started. Touching the light after so long had felt near euphoric, soon the achy exhaustion was replaced with a tingling energy that went from her chest to the tips of her fingers and toes. It filled her with a strange new determination and a low rage burned through her as she looked at the people around the room, and the memory of James and his kind face and smile. He'd died trying to save people, trying to save her. Addy quickly gave the girl instructions not to move her hand until a proper healer could see it, and reached down to pick up her sword.

If she could remember how to heal with the light, then she could damn well remember how to fight with it.

She marched towards the door of the old tower. She had almost made it outside when a firm hand grabbed her upper arm and forced her into a hard stop.

“Where are you going?!” Gryan hissed at her, yanking her back into the tower. “Are you insane?”

“I can help!” She snarled, trying to pull out of his iron grip.

Gryan ignored her feeble struggled and turned her so she was standing in front of him, “You can help by staying here and out of the way.”

She shook her head, feeling more determined than ever, “No! I can fight, and you need all the fighters you can get!”

“We have fighters.” He shouted, “You can see that bloody portal from a thousand miles away, Stormwind is probably sending fighters as we speak." Addy stopped struggling momentarily and Gryan loosened his grip on her. His face softened slightly as he moved his hands to her shoulders and looked her in the eye, "Now listen to me do you remember that healing spell I taught you?”

She gritted her teeth, “Yes, but-“

“Good.” He interrupted her, “Because right now we have a lot of injured people and we need healers.”

Addy shook her head in anger, “I’m not a healer!”

“You know a healing spell, and right now that makes you a healer.”

“Sir!” 

Gryan turned his head to look at a group of soldiers waving him over and he cursed, looking back at Addy. “I know you want to fight, but taking on rogue bandits isn’t the same as a battle like this. Now it looks like their numbers are thinning and hopefully we’ll have this cleaned up soon without too many casualties. But in the mean time say here and try not to be one of them.”

He leaned down and pressed a rough kiss onto the top of her head before grabbing his helm and rushing out into the battle.

Addy stood there for a moment, trying to calm herself down and convince herself that he was right. Of course he was - if she’d just rushed out there she’d most likely be dead in minutes. But she wanted to help, and it wasn’t like she could help anyone with a serious injury anyways.

“Oh sweetheart that looks painful.”

Addy winced as a woman walked up to her. Addy only glanced at her before her eyes saw the prayer beads at her belt. A priest then - she must be one of the few healers in Westfall who now worked tirelessly helping those injured. Addy watched her calm demeanour with envy.

The woman gestured towards her neck and Addy brought a hand up to touch it, crying out at the sharp pain that accompanied it. She’d completely forgotten about the acidic demon salvia burning her, the pain rushing back to her all at once.

The priest brought her hands up to heal her but Addy shook her head, “I can do it.” The woman nodded, giving her one last concerned look before turning back to her other patients. 

Addy brought her hands to her neck, resting them over as she reached inside her for the same presence she felt when healing the girl. It was easier this time, and without much prodding she felt the warmth of the light healing the wound on her neck.

She was able to heal the full wound without exhaustion taking her over, but once she had finished she touched her neck, only to feel rough, uneven skin where the acid had burned. She didn't let it bother her too much - the pain had stopped and that was all that mattered.

But as she looked towards the other healers helping those around the room she felt a burst of annoyance at herself. How could she be a help to anyone if she couldn’t even heal herself properly?

The entire world shuddered and Addy threw her arms out to steady herself. Dust and rocks fell from the already unstable tower and people cried and covered their heads, looking around for the source. Addy's eyes flashed back to the Cataclysm and the never ending earthquakes which had rocked Westfall for months.

Once the shaking stopped everyone was silent, looking around and waiting for something, anything, that would explain the source of the shaking.

Instead the world shook a second time, stronger and more violently. Addy crouched, covering her head incase pieces of rock fell on her. People in the room started screaming and crying. Outside the walls Addy could hear men yelling and giving orders.

Then came a piercing roar, so loud it shook her bones and made her cover her ears with her hands. It seemed like a thousand years had passed before it ended and if left a charged air in its wake. Addy gapped silently, looking around the room which had fallen eerily silently. What in the Light was that?

Nobody moved. Nobody wanted to go outside and see what was standing out there. Addy wondered if she should peak out, but the deep roar had instilled terror in her. She felt all her earlier panic starting to creep up on her, but she quickly squished it back down. She quickly scanned the room before her eyes landed on the stairs, old and rickey and leading straight up to the top of the tower.

She ran over to them, gripping the railing in case the world shook again, taking the stairs two at a time. Normally the stairs were full of soldiers, but right now they was empty save for the groups of people who braved the crumbling structure to make way for the injured downstairs.  
When she got to the top she saw a single wooden ladder leading up to a trap door. She climbed it, pushing against the door until it opened. Looking straight up she could see the green portal filling up the sky. Looking closer she noticed that hidden in the black was a sky-ship, long and blacked and spiked. It hovered over the tower silently, not attacking just...waiting.

Addy turned her attention back to the tower, watching out for flying demons before she decided it was all clear and pulled herself onto the top of the tower. She awkwardly pulled out her sword, looking around for incoming felbats. But the skies were empty, Gryan and his men must've cleared them. She hoped that meant they were winning.

The tall, thick, stone slabs surrounding the top were wide enough to hide her entire body, so she quickly ran over to one and pressed her back against it, dropping into a crouch. She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her courage, before peering out and down at the battle below.

“Oh light…” She breathed out, her face growing pale and her legs weak as she finally saw the source of the horrifying roar. 

It was huge. Bigger than anything she’d ever seen before. It was almost as tall as the tower and she might have been eye level with it if it wasn’t so far away. It had a large scaled body with a long tail, and two bat-like wings, like a dragon. But with the torso of a demon, with two large horns protruding from it’s head and a large axe bigger than horse.

She looked down at the soldiers fighting They looked like rats to an elephant and it seemed like they weren't even making a dent.

A low horn burst through the air and Addy turned her head. She let out a breath at the sight of dozens of griffons flying their way - the reinforcements from Stormwind. No doubt they would have mages and warlocks and warriors who could take down a demon of this size. But the soldiers of Westfall were inexperienced and young. Would they be able to hold out before they got there?

The demon roared again, swinging its mighty axe and sending half a dozen man flying through the air. Addy ducked back behind the rock, holding her hands to her ears to block out the defining sound.

Smaller shudders ran through the earth and Addy looked around in confusion before she realized that it was from the footsteps of the giant beast. She peeked out against and sucked in a breath when she realized that the demon was no longer attacking the soldiers. Instead, it had turned its attention to the tower, and was storming towards it with murderous intent. 

She looked down, her mind going to the dozens of people in the basement, injured and unable to fight back. 

She swallowed. Well she certainly wasn’t going down without a fight. She stumbled to her feet, her hands shaking as she gripped her sword. But as it grew closer it dawned on her that she hadn't realized its true size. It was impossibly big, so much so that her brain couldn't even comprehend what it was seeing. 

It turned as it approached and Addy paused. it wasn't heading to the front of the tower where most of the people were huddled inside, instead it thundered towards the side of the tower, where wooden patchwork and scaffolding. Addy furrowed her eyebrows, before something occurred to her which made her insides run cold.

It was going to collapse the tower.

Addy startled as she realized that she was suddenly in the most dangerous place she could be. She made to move towards the trap door, but looking back she knew she couldn't possibly make it in time. She turned back to the edge of the tower, looking over. She could make a jump for it, but the fall would be just as deadly as if the tower fell down on top of her. Unless she could land on something. But the only thing nearby was...the demon.

She paused, trying to think quickly. She looked between the demon and the sword in her hand. She could do it. If she was going to die anyways then really there was no reason not to. And if she could distract the demon, even if for a few seconds, it would give more time for the reinforcements to arrive. Distract it from collapsing the tower onto the people inside.

She wandered over to the edge of the tower, gripping the stone as the whirling wind blew around her. A low vibrating filled the air and she looked up just in time to see the large black sky ship vanish. She swallowed nervously and looked back down at the demon, circling the tower.

Addy studied the beast. It was covered in a thick armour, but she was small, and so was her sword. If she could land on it's back she might be able to stick it into it's back or neck before it killed her. 

She felt a rage burn inside of her as she waited for the demon to get closer. It was unfair that she should have to die. But there was no real choice here. She could run, maybe get outside before the tower collapsed. But then everyone else would die, which wasn't an option.

The more she thought about it the angrier she got, a rage burned inside of her that didn't belong to her. It was like something had fought into her mind and the same euphoria took her over that she had felt when she'd healed the young girl. The feeling of the Light

Evil! Atrocities! Honourless! Murders!

Her skin began to emit a faint glow, but she ignored it and the strange rage in her mind, instead readying her sword and preparing to leap to her death.

Murders! Cowards! Abominations of the Light!

It was almost there, only a few more feet and they’d be practically face to face.

Evil! Cruel! Foul Beasts!

She inched to the edge, crouching low as she waited for the opportune moment. Her heart pumped loudly and the slight glow in her skin had gotten brighter and brighter. 

It was right on top of her…she just needed to wait…

Vile! Immoral! Dishonourable! 

The horn blared again, much closer this time, signalling the arrival of the men from Stormwind. The demon turned its gigantic head in that direction and Addy’s heart leapt to her mouth and she made her move.

It had seemed like hours, but it had been less than a minute since she'd first seen the beast. Now the demon was so close she barely dropped two feet as she landed hard on its scaled back. She gripped hard and took her sword, pointing it up into the base of its neck, knowing she had to do as much damage as possible before it noticed her presence.

Before she struck she took all of her anger about this terrible, evil monster and used it to channel as much of the light into her blow as she could. Then, with one final burst she pushed the sword upwards into the neck of the demon.

Addy felt the roar of the creature more than she heard it. As soon as the blow was struck she felt her entire body weaken. The exhaustion she'd felt when healing the young girl came back a thousand times and her body went limp, slipping off the back of the monster.

Right before she lost consciousness she saw a flash of white, the screech of a griffon, and the sight of the ground approaching much too fast.


	3. The Road to Goldshire

She could smell before she could see. The air was thick with the stink of smoke and it tickled her nose and clogged her throat. She started to cough, which jolted her to awareness.

She looked straight up and frowned, not quite sure what she was looking at. Then, after a few more minutes she realized that it was trees, blocking out the bright sun and blue sky. She was confused, there weren’t any trees in Westfall. They’d all been cut down centuries ago to create the farmland. It took her a while to understand that she probably wasn't in Westfall anymore.

It took her even longer to realize that she was moving.

Addy blinked rapidly to clear her vision, turning her head to the side to try and figure out where she was. As she took in her surroundings she noticed that she was laying on her back on a large horse drawn cart. She looked around to see several large boxes and chests of what looked like food and other supplies.

She moved to sit up, only to hiss and collapse back to the cart roughly as her entire body erupted in pain.

She grunted as she laid on her back, suddenly recalling what had happened. She’d thrown herself off the top of Sentinel Hill to attack a demon like an idiot! She didn’t know what she’d been thinking, but sitting on the back of the cart as darts of pain went down her body she could only muse about how stupid she'd been.

“Miss?”

Addy turned her head to peek out the side of the open air cart. Walking beside her was the same priest woman who she’d spoken to back at the hill. She still had that annoying appearance of calm and peace surrounding her. She was watching Addy with wide concerned eyes.

The woman beamed once she realized Addy was conscious, “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“Terrible.” Addy admitted, her voice rough. She slowly brought her arms up before dropping them, “Everything hurts.”

The woman winced in sympathy, “I’m sorry love. Once we get to Goldshire we’ll get you a proper healer. I was able to patch you up a bit, but I'm no miracle worker. Lots of folks are in bad shape I’m afraid.”

Goldshire? She looked back at the trees around them and realized they must be in Elwynn. But why were they going to Goldshire? And why was she going with them?

“Gryan?” She called out into the air, looking around as much as she could. She could see tabards of Stormwind and the Westfall militia mixed around groups of people walking. She wondered how many people were walking with them. It looked like dozens. But as she scanned the crowds she couldn't see Gryan anywhere. She started to feel a low panic in her chest. Where was he?

The woman pointed forward, “He’s at the front of the company. He’ll want to know you’re awake. I’ll fetch him for you.” Addy let out a breathe of relief, before nodding. The woman walked off and she was left laying there by herself.

As she waited she gritted her teeth, and reached out blindly with her hand. Finally she got a good grip on one of the boxes and pulled, biting her lip in pain as she struggled to get herself into a sitting position. Once she got up she leaned back against a crate, letting out a deep breathe. Once her heart rate had calmed she allowed herself to look around and get a better look at her surroundings.

The company of men, women and children stretched back along the thin road and disappeared over a hill. There must've been hundreds of people with them, far more than had lived at the Hill. The air around them was thick with smoke and through the gaps in the trees she could see black smokey pillars coming from Westfall. Looking at the people and the amount of smoke burning at the horizon she felt a lump form in her throat. The attack must have been far worse than she'd thought.

“Addy?”

Addy turned her head and saw Gryan walking beside the cart. She gave him a small smile, trying not to look like she was in as much pain as she was, "Hello.”

He let out a low breath before grabbing the side of the cart and hoisted himself into the back. He took a seat on one of the boxes opposite her and gave her a reproachful look, “You idiot girl! What were you thinking?!”

Addy flushed a bit, clenching her jaw and looking down, “I was trying to-“

“By taking on a Pit Lord all by yourself!” He interrupted her, his eyes fiery, “Are you insane? Do you have any idea how lucky you are not to be dead right now?!”

She didn’t respond. She hadn't thought she would survive at all, but she didn't want to tell Gryan that. So instead she just shrugged and looked down, abashed.

He rubbed a hand over his face, looking years older than he already was, “You scared me half to death.”

She still couldn't meet his eyes, “It was going to collapse the tower and I figured I could distract it or-“

“I know what you did.” Gryan waved her off, “And light be damned it worked. You probably saved the lives of everyone in that tower doing it too. You distracted it long enough for the men from Stormwind to arrive and kill it. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the single stupidest thing I’ve ever seen!”

Addy kept her head down to hide her grin, but somehow Gryan still saw it.

He reached over and smacked the side of her head, “Don’t be so damned pleased.”

She lifted her head and gave him a watery smile, “I’m happy you’re okay too Gryan.”

“Yeah...” He shook his head, but there was a spark of fondness in his eyes, “You’re a damned fool.”

They sat in comfortable silence. He handed her a skin of water and some rough jerky which she eat silently, wincing every now and then. The longer she sat there, with the jolting of the cart of the uneven cobblestone path, the more she wished for the sight of Goldshire and its promise of a proper healer.

“How bad was I hurt?” She asked after gaining the necessary courage. She almost didn’t want to know how bad she’d looked before her tentative healing.

Gryan didn’t look too worried, “Not as badly as you'd think. You didn’t actually fall very far, but you broken several bones - I think your ribs are still broken. You had some nasty cuts, but most of it was just bruising.”

Addy frowned, “Then why do I feel like I was crushed by a boulder?”

Gryan snorted, “You drained yourself with whatever spell you used.”

She leaned back against her crate, “It was just like you taught me, though. I just put the light into the strike for more power.”

Gryan snorted, “Addy, you were glowing like a torch when you struck him. You didn’t draw the light into your strike, you drew it into you. It burned you out.”

“But I don’t even know how to do that!” Addy argued.

“Which is why you collapsed afterwards.” Gryan pointed out, “It’s something that more experienced Paladin’s can do, but you have so little training with the light…you just couldn’t handle it.”

“Can you do it?” She asked eagerly, “Could you teach me?”

Gryan sighed, looking at her sadly, “I didn’t lie to you all those years ago when I said I couldn’t teach you anymore Addy. You have to understand I was early in my own training when the Silver Hand was disbanded. I carry the name Paladin, but only barely…”

Addy felt her excitement fade. It was the same answer she always received - she’d need a proper Paladin to train her, and training costed money. Money she didn’t have.

“You need to be careful.” Gryan watched her with worried eyes, “The light isn’t like Mana. Mana is a power within you, you can run out, become powerless, but that isn’t the same as over-use. You are a mortal vessel for the light to do its work through, remember that. If you absorb too much light before your body is ready, you can burn up….literally.”

Addy paused, “As in….literally literally?”

“To ashes.” Gryan grimaced, “Believe me, it’s not a pleasant sight.”

“You’ve seen it happen?” 

“Once.” He nodded slowly, “In Stratholme. A young man the same age as me. He had a particularly powerful connection to the light. He was young, and foolish, and took on more than he was capable of….you remind me of him sometimes.”

Addy frowned, unsure if she’d just been insulted, “I’ll be careful.”

He smiled sadly, his eyes lost in a memory, “That’s all I can ask. But I doubt you’ll have to be. I doubt you’ll ever find yourself against a Pit Lord again.”

“How did it get here?” Addy leaned forward, curious.

Gryan rubbed a hand over his face, “There was a portal. A fairly large one, right above the hill. To be honest I’ve never seen anything like it before, but I know it would take one hell of a Warlock to summon something like that.”

“A warlock?” Addy pondered “You think it was a warlock?”

“Has to be.” He shrugged, “Warlock’s are the only ones I can think of who could have opened a demon portal like that.”

Addy bit her lip, a sinking feeling in her gut, “Could it be the Defias?”

Gryan sighed deeply, looking worried, “I’m not sure…could be. Honestly I can’t think of anyone else who would bother attacking Westfall of all places.”

They hit a pothole in the road and Addy cried out in pain. Gryan reached forward and Addy waved him off, “I’m fine.”

“Shut up.” He grumbled, reaching a glowing hand to her head where she felt a warmth, the pounding headache fading slightly. 

She let out a sigh. She was still in pain, but she felt a bit better, “How much further to Goldshire?”

“An hour.” He looked up at the sky, “Before nightfall at least. A runner came by a while back and informed us they’ve set up a camp outside the village until more permanent places can be set up. Me and a small contingent will continue to Stormwind to debrief the King.”

“The King?!” Addy gapped at him in shock, “You’re going to talk to the King?!”

Gryan chuckled at her surprise, “Yes, Addy. It’s not everyday a Pit Lord attacks so close to Stormwind.”

Addy stayed silent at that. She knew that many people within Westfall weren’t exactly…fond of the King. Many saw him responsible for the creation of the Defias, and even more for the continued famine within Westfall. She knew her Grandfather had always had some choice words about him after he’d sampled his own brew, and as a young child she’d always been a bit resentful.

Of course that had changed after his kidnapping. Once the Lady Prestor had been ousted as a Black Dragon things had changed, and the corruption in the royal court had ended with her. But ten years of anger couldn’t be irradiated overnight, and many were still bitter. 

“I want you to come with me.”

Addy startled, staring at Gryan with wide eyes, “What?”

“I want you to come with me to Stormwind.” He said sternly.

“Why?” She asked incredulously.

He shifted, "Maybe I just want to keep you close. You don't know anyone else and I think I'd feel better if you came with me."

“Gryan, I’ve lived by myself for a long time.” She gave him a fond smile, “I think I’ll survive Goldshire.”

He made a pinched look, “Goldshire doesn’t have the best reputation, Addy.”

Addy opened her mouth to argue, but seeing his expression she faltered. His face was stern, and fond, but when she looked into his eyes there was a flicker of fear. She felt her heart constrict and she suddenly remembered how she’d felt when she watched the men she’d grown up with get ripped to shreds by demons. How she'd felt when James had been killed. The gut clawing fear that had brought tears to her eyes when the Pit Lord attacked Gryan and his men. He was like family to her, and she was like family to him. She supposed she would feel better knowing where he was as well.

“Okay.” She swallowed, “I’ll come.”

His face softened, “You’d argue with Death itself if you could, wouldn’t you?”

“I’m not that bad.” She grumbled, looking down.

He reached over and patted her head and she grumbled pushing him off. “Stop it, that hurts.” She lied. His grin faded.

“Are you alright?” He asked suddenly. She opened her mouth to answer but he cut her off, “Not physically.”

She froze for a moment, blinking at him. She had been trying not to think too much about it, but now she didn’t really have a choice. She clenched her teeth together and tried to keep her lip from quivering.

“They ate James.” She whispered.

Gryan closed his eyes slightly. He’d known James too, he’d been staying at the tower for six months, helping out with Bandits and Gnolls. She knew he would feel the loss greatly, just like he’d feel every death.

“How….” She swallowed, “How many people…”

“Too many." He looked pained, “Moonbrook was hit hard as well, hundreds of people died there, the rest hid in the Deadmines. Most of the farms were hit, most were burned. The King ordered the evacuation of the whole of Westfall. Some, like us, are going to Goldshire. Others are taking boats north to Menethil. Some are staying in Westfall, particularly those in Moonbrook. They feel they could wait out another attack in the Deadmines if it comes to that.”

Addy wanted to ask about her Vineyard, but she knew it would be selfish of her. Besides, it didn’t matter. If it had survived the attack then the grapes would die before she ever got to chance to tend to them again.

She tired not to think about how long it would be before she got to go back home, instead changing the topic, “Does the King think there’ll be another attack?” 

“He’s prepared." Gryan reasoned, "The fact of the matter is that we never caught anyone involved. After the pit lord was taken down the portal closed and the whole thing just…stopped. So until we figure out who’s responsible, we need to prepare for the threat of another attack.”

She nodded. But it still nagged at her. Who would want to attacked Westfall of all places?

They travelled for the next hour until Addy could see smoke rising above the trees in the distance. Unlike the thick, choking, smoke of the remains of Westfall, this smoke rose in steady streams from the chimneys of homes.

Addy let out a breath, her arms and legs stiff beneath her. Gryan had said they would spend the night here before heading north to Stormwind, and she was looking forward to sleep. It had felt like a week since she’d woken up in her chilly bedroom with her threadbare blanket.

The tent city outside Goldshire was massive, and Addy gawked when she first saw it. It looked like it could house thousands of people, with dozens of cooking fires and water stations. And food, there was more food than Addy had seen in years. Her mouth had already started watering at the sight of a warm stew in a nearby pot being prepared by volunteers from the village.

“The King sent food from his personal surplus.” Gryan smiled, “As well as food donated by the people. They could see the attack from the city, and plenty of people were willing to help out.”

A Westfall man, who Addy recognized as one of the many homeless from around the Hill, glowered at the food, “Yeah? Where were they last month when I didn’t eat for a week?”

Addy winced, but inwardly agreed. The food was nice, but where was this sympathy while the citizens of Westfall starved? 

Gryan just sighed, looking at he food sadly. He didn’t respond though, instead helping Addy out of the cart and onto a small log near a warm fire. She winced, her ribs jolting. Gryan handed her a blanket, which she wrapped around her shoulders, and left to go find a healer.

She looked at the bustling of activity around her. She saw other people settling into the tents, others were already asleep. Most were gathered around the food, eating as much as they could before they fell asleep for the night. Addy reached into her pack and pulled out the small bit of jerky that she’d packed the morning before, chewing on it. She let the others eat the stew and bread from the city, they probably needed it more than she did.

Gryan returned after a few minutes with a strange look on his face. Beside him was a well dressed man with shaggy blond hair and a kind look about him. He was young, the same age as her most likely. She let out a breath, hoping that her pain was about to end and she could go to sleep, her eyes were heavy and her mood shortening by the minute.

“This is Adeile Fairchild.” Gryan introduced her to the man, who gave her a wide smile. She grumbled a greeting to him, hoping she didn’t sound as rude as she felt. Gryan sent her a sharp look which she ignored before continuing.

The man sat on the log next to her and made some strange hand motions as he spoke, “I heard you tried to take on a Pit Lord.” 

She felt weirdly indignant, wondering if this rich boy was making fun of her, “I did take on a Pit Lord. I just…didn’t kill it.”

“Addy, don’t be rude!” Gryan snapped, “This is-“

“Don’t worry about it Captain.” The man waved him off, before giving her a smile, “Well, for someone who took on a Pit Lord, you’re in remarkably good shape. I’d say you’re one lucky woman.”

She narrowed her eyes, still somewhat certain that he was making fun of her. But Gryan was right, she was being rude to the man who was here to heal her. “I suppose.”

“Well here you go.” He reach forward and placed his hands near her stomach. A second later the pain in her chest was gone and she sucked in a huge breath in relief. He moved his hands over her arms and legs and the stiffness in them left her. A few seconds later and she was completely healed.

She looked down at herself in awe, he’d done that in seconds. She couldn’t even heal a burn properly and he’d done all that without breaking a sweat.

He tilted his head down to look at her neck, “I think that might scar sadly. What caused it?”

She brought her hands up to where the demon drool had burned her skin. It still felt rough and patchy and she winced, wondering how bad it looked.

“Felhunter drooled on me.” She grumbled.

He made a pinched expression, “That’s….unpleasant. Did you kill it at least?”

She glared at him, “Actually yes, I did.”

He paused, looking a bit awkward. Behind him Addy saw Gryan place his face into his hands. 

Addy cleared her throat, remembering her manners “Thank you for healing me. I think I’m going to go to sleep now, I’m a bit tired.”

He gave her a wide smile, “Of course. A good nights sleep with help with your burnout. I know it can be fairly nasty, I’ve dealt with it a few times myself. I’d love to chat with you sometime about the spell you used against the Pit Lord.”

Addy was overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. “Er….Sure?” She replied unsurely.

He beamed at her, “Excellent. I’ll see you around Miss Fairchild!”

And with that the young man stood up and disappeared into the crowd, probably finding someone else to heal. Addy watched him go with a strange look on her face - how could anyone be so cheerful in a camp of refugees?

Gryan reached over and smacked her around the head, “You idiot girl!”

“Ow!” She hit his hand away, “What was that for?”

“Your bad manners!” He glowered at her, “Don’t you know who that was?”

“No.” She glared at him, “Should I?”

Gryan rolled his eyes, giving her a reproachful look, “I’d sure hope so, considering you just back-mouthed the Crowned Prince of Stormwind!”


	4. The Prince and the King

 

Addy woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in months. After much arguing she’d finally agreed to eat some of the stew and for once her stomach didn’t wake her up with pangs of hunger. Instead of the bitter cold she usually felt, she was instead pleasantly warm under a thick pile of furs and blankets.

 

She sat up, stretching a bit and looking around the patchwork tent, wondering what had woken her. It wasn’t quite light out yet, and sleep still clung to her eyes. Soon the sound of people running around the camp and the neighing of horses was brought to her awareness.

 

She poked her head out of the tent and saw men milling about as the camp slept. She spotted Gryan, already in his uniform, talking to groups of soldiers and pointing in various directions. 

 

She went back into the tent and gathered her cloak, throwing it on and grabbing her pack. It was empty, but it was still hers. She ran her hands through her hair, wincing as they hit a few knots that she knew she’d have cut out. She pulled it back from her face into an elastic and hoped that she looked alright as she climbed out of the tent.

 

Gryan spotted her immediately and walked over, “I was about to wake you. We’re going to head into the city now. We want to beat the midday rush.”

 

She nodded, but her stomach twisted in knots, “What am I doing once we get to the city?”

 

“We’ll talk to the King Immediately.” Gryan explained, “Then we’ll get a room at an inn. Depending on the King’s orders we’ll see what will happen after that.”

 

She froze , “What do you mean ‘ _We’ll_ talk to the King?’”

 

“We’re talking to him first.” Gryan sighed, “You’ll be coming with us.”

 

Addy gave him a blank look, not entirely sure what to say to that. 

 

When she was younger her grandfather would talk about what he’d say to the King, if he ever got the chance. Of course this was usually after he’d had a few drinks and was on the edge of drunk. He’d curse the King and the House of Nobles, and he’d always say the same thing:

 

_“Addy, you know what i'd say to ‘im, if I ever got the chance? You know what’d I say?”_

 

_“No Grandfather, what would you say?”_

 

_“I’d say…you’ve got some nerve…What would you tell ‘im Addy?”_

 

_“It doesn’t really matter Grandfather, neither of us are ever going to meet him.”_

 

She didn’t really feel anything one way or another. She supposed she should feel angry at him, but she didn’t. She never really had, just bitter. Her grandfather had been a juxtaposition - on one hand he said every man was responsible for himself. He never took any charity, never let anybody help him. But on the other hand he was quick to put the blame of his failures on others. But Addy never had - she knew that the King wasn’t responsible for the fallow. The famine came from nature - the Defias came from greed - and the failure of her Grandfather’s vineyard came from his drinking. And despite what the people of Westfall liked to think, none of these were the Kings fault.

 

But the shallow, hungry eyes of those who sat starving without aid in the fields of Westfall still cried out to her. Perhaps the famine wasn’t the King’s fault, but he was still to blame for the deaths of hundreds would couldn’t feed themselves. They’d all been helpless to watch money pour into the army, and into wars, instead of feeding the people on his own doorstep. No…Addy didn’t blame him for the corruption of Lady Prestor and the House of Nobles, but that didn’t mean she particularly liked him either.

 

“Just say behind me.” Gryan tried to be supportive, “And for the love of the light don’t be _rude._ Prince Anduin didn’t deserve to have to deal with you last night.”

 

“I was tired.” She defended herself, “And hungry, and in pain. I’m sure he’ll forgive me.”

 

“Be glad he’s the forgiving type.” Gryan gave her a stern look, “There are nobles would have you lynched for such attitude. And I’m certain the King wouldn’t appreciate it. So keep your mouth shut, no matter how much I think a night in the Stockades would do you some good.”

 

“Now who’s being rude.” She grumbled, chuckling a bit when he nudged her, “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. I’ll probably be too busy trying not to throw up I’m so nervous.”

 

“Don’t throw up either.” He warned.

 

“I was joking.”

 

“Well I’m not.”

 

Addy laughed loudly, looking towards him, throwing her voice into a high pitched mockery of the nobility, “I hereby do swear not to vomit on the High King of the Alliance, today, nor on any other day, so long as I so do live.”

 

Gryan grunted, “I should leave you in Goldshire.”

 

“But Gryan.” She gasped, “You’d miss me.”

 

“I liked you better when you were injured.”

 

***

 

Anduin felt awful, but he was used to it. His body was sore, his head was pounding, and he knew that he most likely looked like death. He'd done his best to look the part of the up-kept Prince of Stormwind, unknotting his hair and scrubbing the blood off his hands and face, but he knew that there were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes and his clothing was dirty and wrinkled.

 

As he rode his horse through the quiet early morning camp he did he best to avoid the stares, as he always did. The night before had been different, he wore simpler clothing and his hair was down and messy. Most people hadn’t even recognized him, mistaking him instead for a simple priest from the city, sent to heal the people of Westfall. It had been a refreshing experience.

 

He approached the small party heading towards the city, immediately seeking out Captain Stoutmantle. The Captain had taken unofficial leadership of the camp up until this point, and was now passing that roll onto Marshall Dunham of Goldshire. The two were in a deep conversation on the main road and Anduin made his way to approach.

 

They spotted him as he approached and both gave silent, respectful, nods in his direction. He gave them one in returned and turned his horse towards them.

 

Behind the two men Anduin spotted a young girl on a horse, and immediately recognized her as the young Paladin in training who’d attacked the Pit Lord. She didn’t give any indication that she’d seen him, instead she focused on wringing her hands together, looking around with a thick air of nervousness.

 

He had to say he was greatly impressed with her bravo, and while she hadn’t killed the Pit Lord she had definitely saved the lives of the people in the tower it had meant to collapse. He found himself eager to speak with her about her use of the light during the battle - but now was not the time for such things.

 

“Marshall, Captain.” He greeted the two men as he approached, then turned to Miss Fairchild, giving her a respectful tilt of his head and the coy smile he used when speaking to ladies of the court before he spoke, “Miss Fairchild.” 

 

When he was a child most woman would coo and pinch his cheeks, telling him how adorable and handsome he was. Now a days they would offer their own coy looks, smirks and even the occasional blush, something he still found himself trying to get used to.

 

Miss Fairchild did none of the above. Instead she just furrowed her eyebrows, giving him a weird tilt of the head as if confused that he was speaking to her.Beside her Captain Stoutmantle cleared his throat and Miss Fairchild jumped.

 

She winced slightly before giving an awkward head nod in return, “Your Highness.” She mumbled.

 

He gave her a smile in return, ignoring the look on the Captains face. The man seemed aghast at Miss Fairchild's poor manners, but Anduin didn’t particularly care. He'd seen much worse, and he got the sense that she didn't mean him ill will, but rather simply didn't know how to speak with him.

 

“Addy.” The Captain spoke to the woman shortly, and she turned her head to look at him expectantly, “Why don’t you ride ahead.”

 

Anduin expected the young woman to argue, or perhaps look affronted. But instead she just gave the Marshall a long hard look, before kicking her heels into the horse and clumsily riding forward.

 

Once she was out of earshot Captain Stoutmantle sighed, “I apologize for her your Highness. She’s spent many years living by herself and the manners of society sometimes escape her.”

 

“It is of no consequence.” Anduin shrugged, moving his horse into the line as they started their trip back into the city. 

 

The Captain sighed, “She’s rather stubborn, like her mother, and her grandfather. Sometimes I think I bit off more than I can chew with her.”

 

“In my experience, it’s the stubborn ones that make the best warriors.” Anduin smirked, thinking of his father, “And maybe the best leaders.”

 

“Oh I have no doubt.” The Captain chuckled, “I’m sure given the right motivation she'd do great things. Or the right circumstances…”

 

The Captain had mumbled the last bit to himself and Anduin had to admit to himself that he was curious. But he knew better than to ask, it would be dreadfully improper to use his title to coerce private information about someone. So instead he just hummed lightly under his breath and offered a change of subject.

 

“My father has ordered a large contingent of men in Lordaeron and Gilneas back south to help hold Westfall should another attack occur.” 

 

The Captain grunted, “I’m sure Greymane was thrilled to hear that.”

 

Anduin sighed, knowing the Captain was most likely correct. He wasn’t there when his father made the decision, but he knew there would have been a loud argument between him and Genn, “I’m sure.”

 

“We’re very thankful for everything Stormwind has done. I’m hoping that this response will discouragewhoever’s responsible from attacking a second time.”

 

Anduin bit his cheek, a strange sinking feeling in his gut, “We can only hope.”

 

***

 

Addy was fine with riding by herself near the middle of the pack. Her legs were sore after only an hour but she entertained herself by studying her surroundings. She hadn’t left Westfall since she was very small, and it felt strange being in a forest again.

 

The air smelled sweet, and crisp and clean - without the usual dust and dirt that clung to everything in Westfall. There were hills and mountains in the distance, which looked terrifying. How could people live near them? Weren’t they scared that those giant rocks would fall, and crush them?

 

And there was so much water. Rivers and streams filled with fish and Murlocs. The Murlocs turned to watch them as they passed, then turned back to fishing in the creek. She saw a number of other animals in the forest: squirrels, deer and even a bear once or twice, but none of them came close to the road towards the city.

 

They passed people every now and then, all of them stopping to bow and pay respects to the Prince, who had moved to the front of the group with Gryan and his bodyguards. The Prince greeted each one graciously, apparently never running out of smiles. 

 

Another hour passed before she got the nerve to kick her horse and speed up to the front of the group. She moved her horse in line with Gryan's.

 

“Hey.” She smiled at him, before looking uncertainly at the Prince, “Er…Your Highness.”

 

The Prince just nodded a small greeting before turning to speak with his body guards, and Addy could see why. She could already see tall flags, and circling Gryphons that signalled they were approaching the city. Every now and then she could see the keep through the trees, built on a cliff and surrounded on three sides by sheer edges and on the fourth by the ocean. It was made of clean light stone and blue roof tiles with the gold Lion of Alliance hanging from banners off the tallest towers.

 

And as they reached the top of a nearby hill she got her first sight of the capital city of Stormwind.

 

It was huge. Bigger than any city she’d ever seen before, even that of her childhood. The city stretchedall the way to the sea, which she could barely see at the edge of the horizon. The Cathedral of Light sat in the middle of the city, its sharp spires shooting to the sky, its height only matched by the keep and a lone tower to the left of the gates. Even from here she could see signs of life, with a faint buzzing of noise and life that radiated away from the city. Looking ahead she knew thousands of people could live there...hundreds of thousands.

 

They travelled towards the front gates, passing by what seemed a small army, all marching and patrolling the large walls of the city.

 

“It’s not usually like this.” The Prince looked pinched as they marched through two wooden door guarded on either side by large siege machines. “But the attack has us on edge.”

 

Addy didn’t mind. Honestly the sight of so many soldiers made her a feel a bit better as they walked into the city. Westfall was practically run by soldiers, so it was a sight she was used too.

 

She passed through the doorway and onto a stone walkway, and as she looked upwards she gapped at the sight in front of her.

 

Four statues, larger than Sentinel Hill itself, stood guard over the single stone bridge into the city. At the end of the bridge stood a fifth statue, looking down at those who walked into the city with a protective gaze.

 

“What do you think?” Gryan asked her, as he looked around.

 

Addy shook her head, unable to express herself. Not all of the statues were human, one was a Dwarf, and another an elf, “Who are they?”

 

“Heroes.” The Prince answered for her, “Of the second war. Those who sacrificed everything in the closing of the Dark Portal and the saving of our world.”

 

Addy frowned, looking up at the giant statues as she passed underneath them. She didn’t really know anything about the first two wars. She knew her Grandfather was a sailor of Kul Tiras during the second war, but that was about it. Knowledge of history just wasn’t that important when it came to growing grapes and making wine.

 

But she still nodded like she knew what he was talking about, she didn’t want to seem like an uneducated idiot in front of the Prince. As they passed by the statues Addy notice the reverence the soldiers gave them. She looked up, her eyes meeting those of a tall Elven woman holding a bow and a hawk on her arm. When she was a child she wanted to be like the heroes who came through Westfall, like the ones who stormed the Deadmines and killed VanCleef. When they passed under the watchful gaze of the fifth and final statue Addy doubted she'd ever be a hero like them.

 

They walked further into the city and Addy wrinkled her nose. It _stank!_ The smell of thousands of people walking, eating, _living,_ all in the same place produced a stench like nothing she’d ever smelt before. More than once she’d led her horse around what she hoped was animal shit, tramples by hundreds of human feet as they milled around the busy city centre.

 

A small path through the crowds had been cleared by the guards, and Addy was thankful she happened to be travelling with the Prince. She couldn’t image how Gryan and her would have managed to get through otherwise. People watched them as they passed with curiosity, and she remembered Gryan mention that the attack had been seen from the city. She supposed they wanted to know what had happened. So would she.

 

They walked into a section of the city that looked much older than the rest and Gryan explained that this was one of the only parts of the original Stormwind that had survived when the Horde had burned it to the ground. 

 

And just beyond that, was the keep. 

 

If Addy had thought it was impressive before, up close it was mind-blowing. The entrance was a small draw bridge, and no more than two horses side by side could walk over it at a time. But beyond that it opened it an enormous courtyard, with giant marble staircases leading up to the keep, with a large fountain between then holding a Statue of King Varian Wrynn, a permeant scowl attached to his face. Looking at it, Addy suddenly remembered she was to be meeting the real thing in a few moments and felt sick to her stomach.

 

Some men in Stormwind tabards came and took their horses. Addy wished she was still seated upon hers. Now that she was on her feet she was starting to feel a bit light headed, and her legs felt like jelly. She smoothed down the front of her dress, aware that it was ripped and stained with demon blood. She pushed her ratty hair out of her face and used the shiny armour of the guard in front of her to make sure she didn't have any dirt on her face.

 

In reality she didn’t look fit enough to meet a store clerk, let alone the High King.

 

“It’s fine.” Gryan snapped at her, “You look fine!”

 

She knew he was just trying to make her feel better, but he looked just as nervous as her, straightening his armour and wringing his hands as they walked. 

 

They entered the keep, which was just as grandiose on the inside as the outside with tall marble columns and gigantic tapestries made of silk and gold hanging from the walls. At the very end of the large hall she could see a hint of the Throne, but instead of going forward, Prince Anduin took a left, taking them into a side room.

 

Addy didn’t recognize the King at first, which she found surprising. She’d seen images of him, statues, and his face was imprinted on the very coin she fought so hard to earn. But his real life visage was much different. He wore a plain shirt and trousers, with a large fur lined belt and boots. He wore a blue and gold sash, much like the one Anduin wore, but even compared to his son he looked remarkably underdressed.

 

She supposed he didn’t wear his formidable armour all the time. It must be terribly heavy…

 

He stood in front of a large table, and as they got close Addy saw that it had a map of Westfall pinned out on it, with small figures moving around it. A few other people were crowded around the table, looking from it, to the King, to the new visitors, all shifting nervously.

 

The Prince didn’t seem bothered by any of this, walking up to the King’s side, “Father.”

 

“Anduin.” The King replied, lifting his head to look at the group of newcomers. His eyes ghosted over everyone in the room and Addy got the feeling he was sizing them up. When his eyes fell on her she immediately looked down, flushing a little bit. His stare was incredibly intimidating.

 

She wondered what he thought of her. The tiny five foot human girl covered in demon blood and soot, standing in his keep. Did he wonder why a poor farm girl was here? Did he know about her attack on the Pit Lord as his son had? Or did she barely glance his mind, as he moved onto more important things.

 

His eyes landed on Gryan, “You must be Captain Stoutmantle.”

 

Gryan bowed deeply and everyone followed suit, “Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for seeing us.”

 

“Everyone tells me you’re the man in charge.” The King gave him a nod of respect, “Which means you’re the one to talk to about what happened.”

 

Gryan took a step forward, starting immediately. “It happened a little after noon. Very quick, very sudden. A large fireball came bursting out of the sky, hitting the ground at the Hill.”

 

Addy remembered how at the beginning she’d been tossed several feet by a burst of fire. 

 

“Above the Hill, a large portal opened up.” Gryan continued, “Biggest portal I’ve ever seen. Not like Mage portals either - this one was green like acid. And out of the portal came more fireballs. Everywhere the fireballs landed, demons appeared.”

 

The King sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, suddenly looking much more tired. “What kind of demons?”

 

Gryan shrugged, “Nothing out of the ordinary at first. Felhunters, Doomguards, Infernals, felbats.” Addy shivered as she remember James, “But there was dozens of them. By the time I’d organized by men, there must’ve been half a hundred.”

 

The King looked pensive, “Tell me about the Pit Lord.”

 

“It showed up at the end. At some point the fireballs ended. We we’re finishing off the remaining demons and it erupted out of nowhere. We tried to fight it off, but it seemed more interested in killing civilians than soldiers. The thing tried to bring the tower down right on top of the people inside. A Paladin was able to bring it’s attention away from the tower long enough for your men to finish it off.”

 

Addy flickered her eyes over to him, but beyond that didn’t bring any attention to herself. When he said it like that she sounded unbelievably brave, instead of unbelievably stupid.

 

But the King didn’t ask for the identity of the mystery Paladin. Instead he just nodded and motioned to the map out in front of him.

 

“There were attacks all over Westfall.” He pointed to the large black figures, “Here and here, and a larger one in Moonbrook as well, the people there were able to survive by hiding in the deadmines. I’ve ordered evacuations, but whether or not people will listen…” He sighed, looking down.

 

“Do you think they’ll attack again, Your Majesty?” Gryan asked.

 

“Depends who _they_ are.” The King admitted. “The most obvious answer is a stray cult of warlocks, but an attack this big? They’d have to be powerful…more powerful than any warlock I’ve ever seen.”

 

“Could it be linked to the Defias?”

 

Addy popped her head up, listening intently as Gryan asked the question she’d wanted answered since the attack.

 

The King’s eye’s darkened and a deep frown settled on his face, “Believe me, the thought crossed my mind. But something of this scale seems beyond them these days, unless they’ve rebuilt right under my nose.”

 

“It’s happened before.” The Prince mumbled, causing his Father to give him an exasperated look.

 

“Alright. It’s a possibility we’ll look into.” The King conceded, “But I also want to investigate other sources. I’ll have S1:7 look into any Warlock groups unaccounted for.”

 

A woman with short messy black hair and slanted almond eyes walked forward. Addy looked down and saw that she wore a tabard over her armour with a golden anchor on it, “Is it possible that this is an attack by the Horde?”

 

The room went silent for a few moments as everyone silently considered the possibility. Addy didn’t know much of politics, but even she knew an attack like this, so close to Stormwind, would be tantamount to a declaration of full on war. A thick layer of tension laid over everyone as they waited for the King to respond.

 

“I can’t imagine this is the Horde.” Prince Anduin spoke up, looking at the woman with a pinched expression, “There hasn’t been much in the way of fighting beyond the odd skirmish since Vol’jin took control, and an attack like this isn’t exactly his style. Plus, with this many demons the Horde would have had to make some sort of demonic pact, and I can’t imagine the Horde leaders would go for that.”

 

“Some of them might.” The woman argued, “The orcs have done it before.”

 

“And learned from it.” The Prince sounded exasperated and Addy got the since he’d made this argument before, “It hasn’t been so long that most of the Orc’s don’t remember what happened last time. They lost their home! They’re not going to make the same mistake again.”

 

“Enough!” The King boomed, interrupting both of them. The woman went to attention, standing stiffly. 

 

The Prince just sighed, and dropped his head.

 

The King looked between them, “I agree with my son.” The Prince's head popped up in surprise, “While Horde warlocks may be involved, I highly doubt this is a sanctioned attack by Horde leadership.”

 

“Which brings us back to square one.” The woman sighed.

 

The King looked at the board in front of him with narrowed eyes. He scanned it furiously, looking for something that would bring this whole thing together.

 

Addy bit her lip, looking between Gryan and the King, then before her courage left her spoke up, “What about the ship?”

 

Everyone in the room looked at her and she immediately flushed.

 

“Er- Your Majesty.” She finished awkwardly.

 

The King didn’t seem to care about the slip, but instead stood up straight, watching her curiously, “Ship?”

 

Addy nodded, “A large one - an air ship. It came out of the portal. It didn’t do anything, it just sort of sat in the air. It showed up at the beginning of the attacks, and left at the end.”

 

The King frowned, and everyone in the room exchanged confused looks.

 

Gryan nodded, “I think I remember it. It didn’t do anything so it must’ve escaped me…”

 

“I’ve never heard of anything like it.” The King confessed, “It came out of the portal?”

 

Addy paused a moment before she realized he was talking to her, “I think so? I don’t know where else it could have come from.”

 

The Prince placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, “Unless the ship was there first. Maybe whoever opened the portal was on it.”

 

“It would make sense.” Another voice spoke up, an older man with a long white beard and long purple robes, “It’s much easier to create a portal beside you, than hundreds of feet in the air.”

 

“So we just need to find the ship, and then we find the casters.” The Prince nodded, “Shouldn’t be too hard.” His voice was thick with sarcasm.

 

“Nobody saw it leave.” The King frowned, looking up at Addy, “Did you.”

 

Addy swallowed, sweat building on her forehead as everyone looked at her, “No…I thought it might have going through the portal, but I never saw. I do know it vanished when the Pit Lord was still alive.”

 

The King and the Prince exchanged looks. Addy wasn’t sure what they were thinking, but it seemed like a silent discussion was moving between them via heavy moving eyebrows and twitches of the lips. Whatever the outcome of the conversation it seemed the Prince wasn’t pleased with it, as he scowled heavily at his father, looking away with a huff.

 

The King turned his heavy gaze back to them and spoke to the room, “It didn’t attack, so it’s not a priority right now. Focus on finding out who orchestrated this attack. I want them dealt with quickly and effectively. We cannot tolerate attacks so close to our city.”

 

The black haired woman nodded in agreement, before coming to attention and saluting. After she did so every solider in the room followed suit, including Gryan beside her. She and the Prince were the only two who did not and she immediately felt awkward, sinking back behind Gryan.

 

“Dismissed.” The King spoke, and people started to leave the room, muttering amongst themselves. Addy turned to follow, but Gryan placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with a questioning look. He ignored her, instead walking forward to address the King.

 

They stood there in awkward silence for a moment until only the members of the People’s Militia of Westfall remained in the room.

 

The King straightening, shaking his head as he looked over the map, “How many?”

 

Addy wasn’t sure what he was asking, but Gryan seemed too, “Hundreds, maybe a thousand. Even more injured.”

 

Addy’s throat closed up. He was talking about the dead.

 

The King winced, “And how many refugees?”

 

“Five Thousand in Goldshire.” Gryan counted, “About five hundred are heading to the city - those who have the worst injuries. A few thousand more went their own ways, some to Darkshire, some to Stranglethorn. Thousands more haven’t left at all.”

 

The King nodded, “I won't forcibly remove them if they don’t want to leave. But I will be sending men to the main pockets. Both for protection and also to make sure whoever did this isn’t still there. Those in Goldshire will be provided for. Those in the city as well. I can’t help those elsewhere unfortunately.”

 

Gryan bowed, and Addy did as well, “Thank you your majesty.”

 

The King rubbed his face, looking at the map sadly, “I just hope that it's enough. Now you and your men have rooms at the Golden Keg. It’s the closest to the keep and a bit nicer than staying in the soldiers barracks. I'll have someone summon you when we have more information. Until then get some rest, I get the feeling you’re going to need it.”


	5. Under the Light

The next few days were dull. Addy spent most of her time in her room at the inn, watching the streets of Stormwind with curious eyes. She eyed people making their way through their daily lives, mostly dwarves and Humans running around the industrial Dwarven District of Stormwind, making frequent stops to the blacksmith market in the middle of the square. She saw a few other races as well. A Draenei, which were much larger than she thought they'd be, a worgan and even a pandaren, which had nearly caused her to fall out of the window as she struggled to catch a glimpse.

Gryan had told her she was allowed to leave the room and explore the city, but she was far too terrified of getting lost. Whenever Gryan wasn't at the Keep, deep in meetings with the King and his army, he would take her on walks. She loved the mage tower and the vast swirling parks that surrounded it. The trade district frightened her, so many large people and animals, all yelling and shouting at each other as they crowded outside banks and shops. 

Her favourite place was the Cathedral. It was very peaceful and quiet, and there was a beautiful view of the harbour, where there were usually a large number of ships. The priests who worked around the square didn't pay them any mind and usually Gryan would leave her alone in the courtyard while he went inside to pray.

When she wasn't people watching, or exploring with Gryan, she was being manhandled by the innkeeper, an older woman named Betsy who had decided to take her under her wing.

"You're too skinny." The plump women had 'tsked', poking her ribs sharply, "It's not attractive."

Addy had just gritted her teeth as the woman fed her and bathed her. She'd been happy to get years of dirt and grim off her skin. She'd discovered that what she'd assumed was a tan was dirt, and her brown hair was also...dirt. Once she'd been scrubbed raw by this woman she found herself to be more pale than she'd though, with a series of freckles across her face and arms that she hadn't seen in years. Her hair now shined bright like copper and was soft and untangled. Betsey had to cut out the demon blood and where it had been was now choppy and uneven.

She honestly felt better than she ever had. She wasn't tired, or sore or hungry. She felt clean and the innkeeper had even found her a new dress with a high neckline that, when paired with a scarf, hid most of the ugly scars which stained her neck and crept up over her jaw. She's almost cried when she'd first seen them in the mirror. Most of her neck was now a red raised surface which stood out horrendously. She refused to leave the room without a scarf to hide them.

She woke up on the fourth day in the city with the sun shining brightly in her eyes. She groaned, rolling over to get out of sunlight and fought the urge to bury her face into her pillow and sleep the day away. She blinked her eyes, letting them come into focus as she scanned the room. It looked like Gryan had already left for the day, but in his place on the bed was a folded up piece of parchment.

Addy sat up, curiosity waking her. She wandered over to his bed, picking up the parchment. On the front of it was one of the few words that she could read.

Addy

It was obviously for her, but when she opened it all she saw was a bunch of gibberish. She clenched her jaw, tossing it on the bed with a aggravated sound. Whatever it was that Gryan had wanted to say he'd have to wait until he got back to tell her.

It didn't take him very long. Around noon he came wandering into the room, stopping in the doorway to watch her as she sat at the windowsill, staring at the people below.

She didn't even look over as she spoke, "There's a woman across the street who has pick pocketed fifteen people in the past hour, I'm quiet impressed."

Gryan walked into the room, his heavy boot loud on the wooden floors. He went over to his bed and picked up the parchment on the mattress with a confused look, "Did you not get my letter?"

"Hmm?" Addy look over in mock confusion, standing up and walking over to him. She snatched it out of his hand and opened him, looking at the paper, "Dear Addy, blah blah blah, blah blah, blah blah blah blah." She closed it and tossed it back to him with a glare. 

Gryan seemed confused for a moment before he closed his eyes in guilt, "Oh, Addy, I forgot..."

She huffed, crossing her arms as she sat on the bed. She knew she was being a child, but it wasn't exactly a trait she was proud of, and she didn't like to talk about it. Her grandfather had never bothered to teach her how to read and write, claiming that it wasn't important to working on the farm.

"I didn't want to wake you." Gryan explained, "It was very early when I left. But I wanted to let you know that some of the most injured refugees from Westfall arrive today. They're calling for volunteers at the Cathedral. I figured you might want to head down rather than spending another day in here."

Addy perked up at that. "I can go?"

"Of course." Gryan nodded, "I can walk you over there before I head back to the keep if you wish."

Addy enthusiastically jumped up. Finally! She could actually do something useful. She quickly grabbed her borrowed dress and her shawl, moving it to quickly hide her disgusting scars, and followed Gryan out of the inn.

***

Anduin wiped the blood off his hands with a towel one of the priests had handed him, staining it in the process. Many of the priests and priestesses in the Cathedral had never seen battle wounds before and were squeamish to such things. Anduin had never been bothered much by blood and gore, so he had offered to help those with the more grievous wounds.

He walked through the crowd, mostly anonymous. His expensive and colourful clothes were exchanged for simple woollen tunic and leggings, synched with a bit of rope. His hair was loose to try and hide his face as much as possible in the crowded room. Every now and then someone would recognize them, bow lowly and offer thanks. But for the most part nobody noticed the Prince of Stormwind as he moved through the Cathedral.

The Bishop had sent him to rest. He’d been working most of the day, even since the group of refugees had arrived covered in wounds. He was exhausted, physically from healing, and mentally from the losses of the day.

He tossed the towel down onto a table, knowing that someone would be along soon to gather them up. He didn’t envy the person who had to clean them.

He looked up, scanning the room and reached for a water skin tied at his belt, taking a long draw before sitting down at the table and watching the room. He didn’t have anything else too do. His father was locked away in his war room with his Generals and Admirals, which Anduin had participated in for hours until it became apparent that they all had the same thing to say.

They had no idea who had orchestrated the attack on Westfall.

They’d ruled out the Defias quickly enough. There was no evidence of Horde involvement, and all the known Warlock cults were accounted for. In fact nobody seemed to know who had attacked, or why. And the more and more names they crossed off the lists, the more apparent the culprit became.

His father didn’t want to admit it. In fact whenever Anduin tried to bring it up he’d been cut off with a sharp look.

He clenched his jaw in annoyance. He knew his father didn’t want to incite panic unless necessary, but treating him like a child in front of the leaders of the army had been a bit humiliating. 

He’d tried reading in the library for a bit, but the more he thought about the attack the more preoccupied his mind became until he couldn’t focus on anything. It nagged at him, reminding him of a conversation he’d had long ago with a one time friend.

He wished to speak with his father of it, in private next time where he wouldn’t be silenced and his father would hear him out. No doubt he was coming to the same conclusion himself.

A piercing cry echoed around the room and Anduin blinked back to reality, immediately trying to locate the source of the sound. He looked at all the injured people before he realized it wasn’t a cry of pain, but a baby's wail.

He found a young woman standing near the edge of the room, holding the baby gingerly as it cried. Her eyes were wide and panicked as she looked around the look, bouncing the baby lightly.

It took him a few moments to recognize her. Her hair, which he assumed was brown, was recently washed and combed and was now bright copper. Her skin had been cleaned of the dirt and blood and was much paler than he remembered. The ripped and dirtied brown dress she’d been wearing had been replaced with a soft blue cotton dress that was just a bit too short for her, falling around her ankles. She wore a white shawl over her shoulders which covered her neck, most likely to hide the scars which had formed from the demon attack.

She was quite beautiful, but she looked much more frail and small than she had when he’d seen her before. Gone was the fierce warrior which had faced down a Pit Lord, and in her place stood a rather timid young woman who looked terrified of the baby in her arms.

Without thinking he stood up and wandered over to her, giving her a kind smile, “Do you need some help.”

“Oh thank the Light.” Miss Fairchild groaned loudly, turning to face him, “I don’t know w- Oh!” She blinked as she saw him, recognizing him. She cleared her throat lightly and fidgeted slightly, “Your Highness.”

He tried to remain unthreatening as he continued, “You appeared to be struggling. Is she yours?”

“Yes. I mean no!" She huffed to herself, “Yes, I’m having troubles, No she isn’t mine. It’s just my turn to take care of her.”

Anduin winced at the words unsaid. The baby was an orphan now. It would most likely be taken in by the local orphanage run by the church. He felt even worse as he realized that the child would still have a better life than whatever it would have had in Westfall.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, straightening his shoulders, “I was hoping to continue our conversation about the spell you performed on the Pit Lord.”

Miss Fairchild furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head adorably as she sought to remember their conversation. When she remembered he saw her freckled cheeks colour and she looked down

“Oh.” She stuttered lightly, “I…I thought you were only making polite conversation.”

“Oh, no!” Anduin assured her, a strange feeling in his stomach as he watched her bashfulness, “I am genuinely curious. The spell you performed is very rarely done by accident.”

“Oh.” She seemed surprised by his admittance, and a frowned marred her future as she wrinkled her nose lightly. He fought a smile as he realized he found it quite endearing.

Anduin looked around the Cathedral, suddenly having an idea. He looked back at Miss Fairchild, motioning to the front of the church, “Follow me, I know a quieter place we can talk.”

She hesitated for a moment, before looking down at the crying baby and nodding her head quickly. He beamed at her and turned to make his way through the crowd. People parted as he walked and he heard Miss Fairchild walking close behind her, the baby in her arms.

He moved to a set of hidden stairs in the corner and started to walk down them. The sound of the baby got a bit further away and he paused turning to see Miss Fairchild standing at the top of the stairs uncertainly.

“Are we allowed down there?” She bit her lip nervously.

Anduin chuckled, “Of course!”

She raised an eyebrows and Anduin paused, realizing that while he was allowed pretty much anywhere in the city, such places were open to everyone.

“Well…” He tilted his head in thought, “You’ll be fine as long as you’re with me.”

She waited a moment more, but the squirming baby in her hands decided for her and she quickly followed him down the stairs.

***

Addy followed the Prince into the lower levels of the Church, unsure of where he was leading her. But the moment they’d left the noisy church the child in her arms quieted and she felt her headache starting to fade, so she stayed with him.

He brought her to a small side room with a bunch of tables covered in scrolls and small bowls of ink and quills. It looked like whoever had been working on them had up and left them without a second thought. Against the back wall was a single large bookshelf, with maybe a hundred or so books and scrolls shove haphazardly onto it.

“What is this place?” She asked him curiously, looking at the books. Why were they here and not in the Library?

The Prince moved forward and pulled a chair out for her. Addy startled, blinking at him in surprise. He just smiled at her expectantly and she moved forward and sat down, unsure of what else to do. She wasn’t used to people treating her with courtly manners.

“The church keeps books down here that are best kept hidden from the public eye.” The Prince explained, moving to the shelf, “I once saw something in a book that might be related to the attack in Westfall, but I can’t seem to find it.”

Addy frowned, “Is it related to the spell I cast?”

“No.” The Prince reached over to a scroll and opened it, reading it over, “You can say I’m killing two birds with one stone here.”

“Oh.” Addy replied with a pinched expression. How important could whatever spell she cast be if he could afford to split his focus. “So what is the spell?”

“Hmm?” The prince looked up from the scroll, before clearing his throat, “Right. It’s called Judgement. It’s something all those who wield the light can theoretically do, but usually only Paladin’s practice it, as it is an attack.”

“If it’s a Paladin spell then Gryan probably taught me when I was younger.” Addy shrugged, “I must’ve forgotten until that moment.”

“I doubt the Captain would have taught you.” The Prince reached for another tome, “I doubt he himself knows of it. Only very powerful Paladins are taught it, not because it’s difficult, but because if you don’t have proper control over your abilities, it can very easily kill you.”

Addy narrowed her eyes, shifting the child to her other arm, “How do you know this? I thought you were a priest?”

The Prince hesitated and Addy saw a weird sort of insecurity in his eyes before it vanished, and the very polite smile was back. “I had no idea i wanted to be a priest at first. I was trained as a warrior from a young age, and when I showed signs of using the light I dabbled in Paladin training for a while. It took me a while to realize I wanted to help people more than hurt them…but I did a lot of reading in my spare time.”

Addy paused for a moment, studying the man in front of her. He was definitely stronger than most priests, with broad shoulders like his father and stronger arms than you’d expect. Knowing who is father was she wouldn’t be surprised if he was very proficient in many types of weapons.

“How does it work then?” She tried to cross her arms around the child.

The Prince shook his head, bringing himself back to the moment and grabbing another book, “The spell uses the light to sort of…’judge’ another being. I don’t know if that’s the best word. You basically focus the light in a way that burns the darkness out of something.”

“But what if something doesn’t have darkness in them?”

The Prince pointed at her, “Exactly. If you were to perform the same spell on that child in your arms, most likely nothing would happen." He turned to her quickly, a panicked look on his face, "I-I wouldn’t suggest trying...”

Addy fought to hide her smile, “I promise.”

“Okay.” He chuckled nervously, flipping the pages of the books in his large hands, “But you cast it on a demon, a being of almost pure darkness. So when you cast the spell it kept going and going and going. My guess is that if you were a better trained and more powerful Paladin it would have killed you. But you ran out of mana and passed out, cutting off the spell before it would do real damage.”

“So there’s not really any danger then.” Addy let out a breath of relief.

The Prince startled, “I didn’t say that.”

“But you said I wasn’t powerful enough to kill myself with it.” Addy pointed out, “So as long as I don’t face down anymore demons I shouldn’t ever have to deal with passing out like that again.”

“For now.” The Prince urged, “But as you continue your training, you’ll get more powerful. Eventually you’ll have enough power to finish casting and it could very much kill you then.”

Addy rolled her eyes, “Well I shouldn’t have any issues then. I’m not continuing my training.”

“What?” The Prince closed another book with a snap, causing a burst of dust to fly into the air, making her sneeze again, “Why not?”

Addy clenched her jaw, resisting the urge to be rude again, “It’s just…not in the books.”

The Prince looked almost offended, “But you have an amazing talent with the light. Most can't even cast a judgement in the first place. And the light surrounds you in such a way, you almost glow.” He blushed suddenly for some reason and Addy looked at her hands to see if she was really glowing like a freak, “With the right training-“

“Not to be rude, Your Highness.” Addy interrupted him, feeling a lump in her throat as he went on to explain everything that she couldn’t ever have, “But it’s not really any of your business.”

He seemed taken aback by that, and for a moment Addy was scared she’d taken it too far with the Prince, but a moment late he simply clear his throat and nodded.

“Fair enough.” He gave her a soft tilt of the head, all his former enthusiasm gone, “Forgive me.”

Addy immediately felt terrible for snapping at him, but she didn’t say so, just nodding.

They sat there in silence for a while, and after an hour or so Addy wondered if she should head back upstairs. But the baby had finally fallen asleep and she was scared that if she moved it would wake up. Besides, the Prince barely noticed her, engrossed in a growing pile of books surrounding him.

She wondered what he was looking for, and tried to sneak a peek at some of the titles of the books, but it was no use. The words all looked like gibberish to her, and many of them looked to be in different languages. The only thing they had in common was that they were old…very old.

“Ah ha!”

Addy jumped as the Prince leapt to his feet, knocking over a pile of books of he did so. In his hands was a green tome without a title, and only a single gold leaf flower on the front. He tip toed around the mess he made and came over to the table, glowing in victory.

Addy glared at him, praying that he wouldn't wake up the baby that had only just fallen asleep.

The Prince noticed her glare and quieted down, but his face was beaming beaming, “I found it! Take a look at this.”

Addy panicked as he pushed the book in front of her, her eyes wide as she looked at the unfamiliar words in front of her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, her eyes wide in terror at the Prince finding out such an embarrassing fact about herself.

“Don’t worry about reading it.” The Prince waved her off and her breath caught in her throat. Did he know? “It’s in Old Darnassian. Theres probably only a handful of people in Stormwind who can read this. But the picture, look.”

He pointed to the opposite page where there was a beautiful image of a small Elven temple. Standing in front of it were two pale blue Night Elves with white hair and long glowing dresses looking up at a beautiful weeping willow, crying down on them with twinkles that looked like stars. And between the trees, floating in the sky…

Addy pointed to the picture, “That’s it!” She stood up suddenly, waking up the baby which started to scream, “That’s the ship!”

The Prince nodded, “Yes, I thought it sounded familiar.”

Addy picked up the book as she studied the picture, her eyes flickering around it to try and figure out what it meant. The ship was identical - it could have been the same one for all she knew. The same black and green lights with sharp spikes. 

“Where is this.” Addy pointed to the temple in the picture.

Anduin shrugged, “There’s no way to know. It most likely doesn’t exist anymore. This image is more than 10 thousand years old.”

Addy immediately dropped the book, holding her hands out in front of her in horror at manhandling such an ancient thing.

The Price shook his head, chuckling kindly, “That's a copy of an original, don’t worry.”

Addy blushed, and picked the book up again, looking it over. She turned to the words beside it and tilted her head, “What does it say?”

“I don’t know.” The Prince admitted, leaning over to look at it, “I know Darnassian, but this script is so old it would take me time to translate it…but this is the only depiction of these ships I’ve seen.”

“Well that’s good then, right!” Addy looked at the picture, excited, “It’s a clue. This book probably talks about the ship! We just need someone who can read it.”

The Prince winced lightly, and for the first time Addy noticed that he seemed a bit uneasy. His eyes were flickering over the image with equal parts excitement and wariness, and he was wringing his hand over themselves.

Addy swallowed, “What is it?”

“Hmm?” The Prince looked at her, forming a smile, “Oh, it’s nothing. You’re right, of course.”

“You know something.” Addy accused, hushing the baby in her arms.

“It’s not important.” The Prince urged, “Not yet, until I have more proof.”

Addy felt her heart drop at the look on his face. It was serious, and a little bit scared. “It’s bad…isn’t it.”

“Maybe.” The Prince was obviously reluctant to say anything, and Addy bit her lip to stop herself from hounding him. He was the bloody Prince of Stormwind, he wasn’t obligated to tell her anything.

The baby in her arms continued to scream, fidgeting wildly and Addy decided that she’d finally had enough.

“I’m, uh…I’m gonna find someone to take this.” She held up the squirming infant.

The Prince nodded absentmindedly, still looking at the book in his hands.

Addy stood up, before shifting awkwardly, not entirely sure how to go about exiting from the Prince. Finally she decided on a terrible curtsey, and a mumbled ‘your highness’.

The Prince looked up from the book and offered a nod of the head in return, “I’ll keep you update if I learn more information.”

Addy paused, staring at him in surprise, “You will?”

“Of course."

Addy didn't argue. Obviously the Prince thought her to be someone of great importance in Westfall, but if it meant him keeping her informed she wasn't going to correct him.

She gathered the child in her arms, and started to make her way towards the stairs. Even peaking her head out of the small room she could hear the loud hustling and crying and screaming of the injured souls above. As if sensing it the child started to scream again. Addy wrinkled her nose.

"Miss Fairchild."

Addy paused at the foot of the stairs, turning her head to peek back into the small room, "Your Highness?"

"Think about what I said." He urged with his eyes, "About continuing your training. I think it's important."

Addy pursed her lips, trying to keep the annoyance off her face. Of course he didn't understand. She'd love to continue her training, but it just wasn't possible. She doubted she could explain it to him. How could a Prince ever understand the sharp pangs of hunger when she couldn't afford to eat for a week. Or the hours she spent patching her clothes when they ripped and wore thin. He'd never have to deal with the pain of selling everything you owned just to survive; her parents wedding rings, a small jewelry box belonging to her grandmother, her Grandfathers war medals...all sold for loaves of bread, barley and oats.

But of course Gryan would smack her good if she spoke in such a way to the Prince, so instead she gave him a forced smile, and lied.

"I'll....I'll think about it."

He smiled and it lite up his whole face. Addy immediately felt bad about lying to him, but it didn't matter. She doubted she'd ever speak with him again.

So without another word she turned and walked out of the room, not witnessing the smile drop from the Princes face, and the spark of fear in his eyes as he held the book up in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: First of all, thank you so much to everyone for the feedback, you have all been absolutely lovely! It really brightens my day to hear from you guys! Second, I probably should have said this in chapter one, but this story may or may not be subject to changes? I'm writing it from the current legion content, but as new stuff comes out with 7.2 and 7.3 etc, I might have to make small tweaks. I'm hoping that I won't have to, but such is the burden of writing Fanfiction for constantly evolving games. Third and finally, I'm going to be in Mexico for the next two weeks, and probably won't be able to update twice a week like I've been doing.
> 
> Again thank you guys so much for the support! Feel free to drop by a comment or kudos, and thank you for reading!
> 
> -Ash


	6. Last Rites

Addy remembered when she was eleven years old and she'd gone with her grandfather to Sentinel Hill. Back then things had still been alright, they still grew enough crops and sold enough wine to live comfortably. But everywhere they looked you could see the growing fallow. The Defias practically ran Westfall and travelling was dangerous. Even the small trip from their farm to the hill was incredibly risky, and her grandfather kept several weapons on him at all times.

This particular trip always played in Addy's mind, because it was the first trip since the King had returned to Stormwind. She was too young to understand, but it was the first time the King had been free of the mental manipulation of the Black Dragonflight in years. When they approached the hill the banner of Stormwind flapped in the wind, and men and women of the army stood around massive carts, handing out food and tents and blankets and anything else the growing number of homeless needed.

Addy had been excited. She wanted new blankets, but her grandfather also told her they couldn't afford it. She had happily wandered around the hill while her grandfather sold their ware, talking with the soldiers. 

She wandered up to one of them by a relatively empty cart, and reached over to pull at his tabard.

The man turned down to look at her, then gave her a toothy grin, "Hey there sweetheart, how are you?"

Addy blushed, looking down and kicking the dirt with her feet, "Can I have a blanket?"

The man beamed, and tapped his nose, "Sure thing. I think I have a special treat for you in here too."

Addy watched him with wide childlike wonder as he reached into his cart, pulling out a simple white wool blanket, and in his other hand a small brown stitched doll with wool braids. It had two black buttons for eyes and a crooked stitched smile.

Addy loved it immediately. The guard handed it to her and she took it, hugging it to her as he wrapped the blanket around her.

"Thank you, Sir!" She lisped through the small gap in her teeth.

She had spent the rest of her trip playing with her doll by herself near the campfire. She hummed to herself as she undid the braids in its hair and re-braided them over and over.

But the people of Westfall had long memories, and many of the homeless blamed the King for their situation, and for not doing anything about it sooner. Most saw the situation with the Black Dragonflight as nothing more than an excuse.

Her grandfather was one of those people.

"Where did you get that!" He snapped at her once he found her again. He was glaring at the doll like it had personally slighted him and Addy could smell that he'd been sampling his ware again.

"The nice man gave it to me, "She pointed to the solider by the cart, not sensing his foul mood, "He gave me a new blanket too! See!" She held out her blanket.

Her grandfather was silent for a moment, but then he had reached down, taking the doll from her hands and tossing it into the roaring fire.

"No!" She'd gasped, tears welling in her eyes as she leapt to her feat. She tried to reach for the doll, but her grandfather grabbed her arm, pulling her back before she burnt herself. 

"Listen to me, Adeile." He'd crouched down to look her in the eye. Her eyes flickered from his angry gaze to the doll in the fire, watching as the braids she'd so carefully constructed turned to ash. "We're no beggars, or wretches or thieves. You understand me? We don't take charity!"

Addy sniffed, blinking tears and nodding. Her lip wobbled as she looked at the ground.

Her grandfather paused for a moment. His gaze softened.

"Listen to me Adeile." He pulled her into a hug, "I'll teach you how to make your own doll, alright? And it'll be better, and you'll love it more, and you'll care more about it...because you made it. Nobody gave it to you, you created it with your own two hands. There ain't nothin in this world that you can't do yourself, if you set your mind to it. You don't need charity."

Addy nodded sadly, still sniffing, but cheering up a bit at the idea of making her own doll, "Can I give it braids?"

Her grandfather chuckled, "You bet, sweetheart."

After he'd calmed down, he'd made her return the blanket and then bought her a blanket at a nearby vendor. He'd then got her everything she needed to make her own doll, and even got her little ribbons for its hair.

And he'd been right. Whenever she wasn't picking grapes or stomping them, she spent her time in the corner, clumsily stitching together a doll. She made hair and clothing and spent all her free time playing with it.

Of course that had been before things got rough. One by one her grandfather let go of his farmhands. Then, when the scourge had returned and the attack of Lich King started, memories resurfaced that turned him to drinking. The more he drank, the less they could sell. Things got worse, but Addy couldn't bring herself to stop him...

Her grandfather died before the Lich King did...it almost brought tears to her eyes to know he never got his closure. 

But she also took his lesson to heart. No matter what happened, and how bad things got, she never once took charity. There was always something she could sell, something she could do to survive. She never really thought about what would'e happened once she ran out of things to do. But she never really had to, because it never happened.

Now that she sat in an inn, in a room paid for by the crown, she couldn't help but feel like she owed them something. She couldn't pay them, she'd run out of the few silvers and coppers she'd had on her days ago.

So she spent her days at the Cathedral. Eventually she learned the route herself, and every day she would make her way there, helping the priests and priestesses with whatever they needed. About a week after the refugees came, the last of them had been healed and sent to an inn or to the camp at Goldshire. Addy spent many hours outside behind the church washing the bloody sheets and napkins in the lake, beating them against rocks to try to get the stains out. Many of them were now pink, and even more of them were unsalvageable, having to be burnt.

She helped with small injuries brought in from around the city. A broken wrist here, a deep cut there. The people of the church never questioned her, they just let her help wherever she could.

A few days after the last of the refugees left, the full impact of the attack finally hit her.

A young priestess in training approached her while she was folding bandages in the corner of the cathedral. The young girl stood in front of her, clearing her throat a few times, until Addy noticed her there and looked up.

"Oh, hello Nysa." Addy smiled politely,

She was much younger than her, maybe fourteen at most. Most likely she was an orphan who started her priesthood to get out of the children's home. 

"Hey Addy." Nysa smiled shyly at her, "Father Thompson was looking for you. He's outside by the lake."

Addy frowned, but nodded, watching as the girl ran off. Father Thompson was one of the many priests who worked at the church. She'd only met him a handful of times and she couldn't imagine why he'd want to speak with her. To be honest she'd be surprised if he even knew her name

Addy walked out to the lake, scanning the edge of the water until she saw him standing next to a small sapling, planting it into the ground with care. 

She jogged up to him, stopping right in front of the small tree, "Father?"

The priest looked up at her and smiled gently. He was old, very old. Every time she touched him she felt like he would turn to dust in her hands. His skin was pale and translucent and thin as paper, and his pale blue eyes looked around like they couldn't see the world around them. HIs hair was white and thin, falling to his shoulders in straight wispy lines.

"Miss Fairchild." The priest tilted his head at her politely, "Thank you for meeting with me."

He climbed to his feet with more strength and grace than belonged to an old man. He grabbed his staff which was laying in the dirt, leaning against it as he walked.

"Grim tidings, very grim tidings..." He mumbled, walking back towards the church. Addy walking with him, looking between him and the church, wondering where he was leading her, "We saved as many lives as we could, but many unfortunately perished to their wounds."

Addy swallowed a lump that rose in her throat as she remembered the number of people that had died. Her mind flashes to the piles of corpses littering the hill as she ran towards the tower, and the look on James' face as he was ripped apart by a felbat.

"You are trained in the light, are you not?"

Addy paused for a moment, watching him with surprise, "Yes, a bit...how did you know?"

"Oh I can feel it! I suppose if you were more familiar with the light you would be able to sense it in others as well. But you don't need to be familiar with the light to perform what I ask."

"And what is that?" She asked.

They reached a small back door to the cathedral and he stopped, turning to look at her. His wrinkly eyes were heavy with sorrow and he leaned against his staff.

"I need someone to assist me. With final rites."

Addy felt her stomach drop and the blood rush from her face, "W-What? I...I can't do that." She shook her head violently, her eyes wide. "There must be someone else.'

"There will be several other's helping, trainees mostly. But I believe it to be important for one of their kin to be there. And you've been extremely kind and helpful with the survivors."

"I..." Addy swallowed. She felt a bit sick to her stomach at the idea. It wasn't seeing dead bodies - she'd seen dead bodies before. She'd even killed before - bandits and thieves mainly. But the idea of seeing someone she knew terrified her. 

But she also felt like she had to. Maybe seeing a familiar face, a familiar presence, would sooth their restless souls. 

She chewed her bottom lip, "I don't know how..."

"Hmm." Father Thompson nodded his head, looking pleased, "Do not worry. I'll teach you."

Addy still wasn't sure thought. There was a sort of reverence and respect these things required that she wasn't sure she had. She was awkward and clumsy with the light most days, and doing someone as respectful as laying someone to rest seemed beyond her.

But she nodded, ignoring her nerves. She'd wanted to help after all. And if this is where she was needed, this is where she would be.

She let Father Thompson leader her through the back exit of the church. He walked into the main Cathedral, and then over to the stairs leading into the basement. She followed him nervously, her eyes flickering over to the small library where the Prince had found the book with the ship. She wondered if he'd found anything else in the week or so since she'd last seen him. He had said he would keep her updated, but no doubt he had forgotten all about her by now.

But Father Thompson kept going, further down into the deep crypt of the Cathedral. They passed tombs with names that Addy didn't recognize, and even older ones worn to nothing. Many looked damaged, no doubt by the sacking of Stormwind. 

They reached the bottom of the crypt and Addy had to stop for a moment in shock as she scanned the sight before her.

There had to be dozens of bodies. Far more than what she had expected. Most were laying flat on their backs, resting on white sheets with their eyes closed and hands resting on their chests. A handful of other trainees were standing over them, washing the bodies with warm water and rubbing oils and scents into the skin. Some were already finished, wearing fresh clothes and looking as though they had only just fallen asleep.

Addy studied the faces, trying to ignore the lump forming in her throat as her bottom lip loosened. She swallowed her tears and walked through the bodies, only stopping when she saw the body of a small child.

Addy stared at the girl on the floor, her brain unable to understand what she was seeing. She felt all the blood rush from her face and were vision went out of focus as she struggled to form words.

"N..No." Her lips started to shake as she crouched beside the girl. She wore a raggedy blue and white dress, and her dark curly hair was coated in blood. Addy remembered her - the little girl in Sentinel Hill with the mangled hand and the ribbons in her hair, little Katie. 

She looked up at the Priest, her vision blurred by tears, "I-I healed her....she was fine."

Father Thompson walked over to her carefully, his eyes filled with pity, "She had bleeding on the inside. Nobody saw it until it was already too late."

Addy remembered how difficult it had been to heal her compared to when she healed her own injuries. She had thought it was because she was out of practice, but looking down at Katie's serene face she knew the truth. It was because Addy had started to try and heal her greater injuries, but she had pulled back when she'd run out of mana...she hadn't been strong enough...

"But she was fine..." Addy looked up at the priest, her eyes wide and desperate, "I healed her hand, she said it didn't hurt anywhere. I...I...."

She brought her hand up to her mouth, trying to hold back a sob. She looked around the room, the dozens of bodies laying on the floor waiting for their rites so they might peacefully pass. The whole room felt like it was spinning as she looked at their faces, these had been real people, with real lives and real families. The little girl next to her had had a family, someone who loved her enough to tie little ribbons into her hair. 

Father Thompson rested his hand on her shoulder, "It is alright child, you do not need to participate in this part if you do not wish too."

"No." Addy shrugged his hand off, whipping her tears with the back of her hand. "No, I want to help."

She worked silently along Father Thompson and the other trainees, using sponges and strips of linen cloth to carefully clean the blood and dirt off the skin of the dead. Addy cleaned the girl, Katie, and dressed any visible wounds. She washed her hair and put the ribbons back the same way they'd been when she'd first seen her in Sentinel Hill

These bodies were only those who died out of the small group of injured brought to the city. There must be hundreds more in the refugee camps and even more left in their homes and farms as the world burned around them. It would take months...maybe years to bury all the dead.

Her hands were stained red by the end of the day. Once they were dressed Father Thompson spoke prayers while she and the others rubbed them with scented oils and laid flowers around them. They would be brought to Goldshire where they would either be laid to rest in a new cemetery there, or released to their families for burial elsewhere.

While Father Thompson spoke the last rites, the dark room lite only by candles seemed to brighten as though a window had been opened. It showered down on them and Addy felt momentarily uplifted. Katie's small face was illuminated, and for a moment it looked as if the corners of her mouth lifted upwards in a smile.

By the time they were finished it was dark outside. Addy knew that Gryan would be worried - he didn't like her being out in the city alone at night. But she couldn't bring herself to care. She wandered along the canals in a silent daze, not coming along anyone other than the occasional guard who nodded at her as she passed.

When she got to The Golden Keg the tavern was full, like it usually was at night. It was filled manly with dwarves, but also the occasional human or gnome and there was a plethora of noise and music. Addy swallowed and reached into the small bag tied to her waist and fiddled at the coin inside. The allowance given to her by the crown. She had been determined not to spend a copper more of it than she needed to, but right now she really needed a drink, and she really wanted the King to pay for it.

She wandered over to the bar, jumping onto a shaky stool and smiled at the man behind the counter.

"Hello, Miss." He gave her a polite head nod. "What can I get you."

"Something strong." She mumbled, "I don't really care what."

He poured something amber into a glass that promised to be vile and handed it to her. She handed him a few copper and sat there, nursing the drink silently.

She was no stranger to alcohol, growing up on a vinery. Back when business had been good she could afford to drink some of it herself. But once she got older and saw how it had affected her grandfather she never could allow herself to get drunk.

But there was a first time for everything.

Gryan found her there after her third drink. She was resting her head on her hand, her eyes unfocused as she stared at the drink.

"Thank the light." He let out a breathe when he saw her there, walking over and leaning against the bar next to her, "You scared the light out of me, girl."

"Sorry." She slurred lighted, sighing and downing the rest of her drink, "Lost track of time."

He was silent, most likely taking in her state, "How much have you drank?"

"Not much." She shrugged, "Enough."

She turned to look at him. His eyes were pinched and his furry salt and pepper eyebrows furrowed. She leaned forward and tried to smooth out the wrinkles between them with her thumb, not liking the way they made him look.

She thought he might scold her, but instead he moved onto a seat next to her, ordering a drink of his own, "What happened today?" 

"Last rites." She mumbled lightly, tears coming to her eyes again.

"Ah." He didn't press any further, and Addy wondered if he had ever had to perform them. Addy couldn't imagine doing that all the time. She wondered how many times Father Thompson performed them. In a city this big, people must die every day. How many dead bodies do you bless before it becomes common place.

Addy didn't ever want death to feel common for her.

Gryan helped her to bed. The stairs were a bit of an issue for her after a few drinks. He convinced her to take off her shoes before going to bed and pulling her hair out of her face.

She was asleep before her face hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for the lovely support I've gotten for this story. I actually did manage to get some writing time in on my vacation so I can update. Not sure how many chances like this I'll get but who knows. Don't be afraid to leave a comment with any thoughts, concerns or questions!
> 
> -Ash


	7. Cabin Fever

Addy couldn't bring herself to go back to the Cathedral after that day. Every time she thought about it, her mind went back to the piles of dead bodies and the cold stiff body of the little girl. What had once been a place of peace for her was now a horrifying memory.

She went back to staying in the room, watching people all day. It was rather dangerous to leave herself alone with nothing but her thoughts, and her mind was slowly filling with grief and guilt.

Could she have done more? What if she hadn't stopped healing her - she might have been tired, maybe even passed out. But what if she could have saved her? She hadn't been able to afford continuing her physical training, but surely there hadn't been anything stoping her from continuing her healing training...

She slouched in her chair by the window, curling her blanket around herself as she watched the Rogue across the street who still hadn't been caught. She'd been sitting there for hours, since before the sun had risen above the horizon. She'd woken up from a horrifying dream. She'd been preparing the last rights for Katie, when suddenly the little girl had awoken, grabbing her arm and jolting her awake, her body covered in sweat and tears in her eyes. She hadn't been able to fall asleep after that.

"Oh Light."

Addy didn't move from her spot, only turning her head to acknowledge Gryan groggily waking up, "Good morning."

"How long have you been there?" He asked, cracking his neck and wincing as he sat up.

Addy shrugged, "Since before the sun came up."

Gryan groaned and stepped onto the cold floor. He tip toed over to his clothing and started to dress himself over his undergarments. The morning air was brisk, before the sun had risen there had even been a layer of frost over the cobblestone streets and thick glass windows.

"It's bloody freezing." Gryan rubbed his arms, trying to warm them, "It'll be snowing in no time."

Addy looked up at the sky above Stormwind. It got cold in Westfall, but it didn't snow anymore. She remembered playing it in as a child, making snowmen and then knocking it over with wooden swords. She wondered if she was too old to make snowmen now.

"Alright, that's it." Gryan grabbed a bag in the corner in which Addy had been collecting borrowed clothing, tossing it to her, "Get dressed."

Addy fumbled the bag a few times before she caught it, the warm blanket around her shoulders falling to the floor, "Why?"

"Because you're coming with me." He glared, daring her to argue.

Addy looked between Gryan and the bag, confused, "I'm allowed to be there?"

"Not in the meetings, no." Gryan scoffed, "But I'll be damned if you spend another day in this room, wallowing."

"I'm not wallowing."

"You're starting to stink."

Addy glared at him, waiting until his back was turned to subtly smell herself. She grimaced, "Fine I'll take a bath."

"You'll take a bath, and then come with me to the castle." He ordered, "Or don't talk a bath, I really don't care. But you're coming with me either way."

"What if I don't want to."

Gryan huffed, "You're acting like a child."

"And you're acting like I am a child."

"You are a child."

Addy paused, turning to look at him. His gaze had softened a bit as he watched her and she felt some of the animosity leave her. There was such a depth of caring and love in his gaze that she suddenly felt very uncomfortable and looked down, her face flushing.

Gryan waited for a moment, before he gave her a soft smile,"I might not be your father Addy, but I watched you grow up. I taught you everything you know, took care of you even when your fool of a Grandfather forgot to. I care about you...and to me, you'll always be that four year old girl you were when I met you."

Addy sniffled lightly, ignoring her wobbling lip. She'd never been good with big declarations of emotion. She still hadn't spoken to him about the little girl, but looking at the loving glance he sent her she loosened up a bit, and looked down.

"I messed up." She mumbled, not looking him in the eyes. She clenched her jaw tight. "I messed up and someone died."

Gryan didn't say anything, and they both sat there in silence. Addy knew he was preparing some sort of monologue in his head and she swallowed the lump rising in her throat.

He walked over and saw down on the edge of her bed, closest to the window. He placed his hands on his knees and tried to catch her eyes, "I...I suppose I could say it wasn't your fault. That sometimes people die and there's nothing that you can do about it. But I'm not going to."

Addy flickered her eyes over to him, trying to ignore their growing wetness as she made eye contact with his warm smile lined eyes.

"Because I've been where you are." Gryan's eyes vanished for a moment, going someplace in his past where Addy couldn't follow, "And I know that saying that won't help. It won't make you feel better. But I will say that, I'm here for you. If you wanna talk or if you want me to lie and say it'll get better, and easier...then I'm here for you."

He leaned forward and gripped her shoulder tightly. Addy gave him a watery smile and reached up to wrap her fingers in his hand, nodding.

"However." He stood up, walking over so he was looking down on her, "I am going to make you get out of this room. So get up kid, I want you bathed and dressed in twenty minutes."

***

She wasn't allowed in the meeting with Gryan. Addy assumed he was going to walk her to the Cathedral, but instead she found herself walking with Gryan through the front gates of the Keep, up the stairs and into the long hallways of the castle. As they walked Addy found herself studying the tapestries that lined the walls - some depicted great battled with trolls and between human kingdoms. The newer ones showed the three great wars with various great warriors and battles.

They reached the throne room and Gryan stopped, turning to look at her.

"The war room is over there." He pointed to the right, where there was a single closed door with two guards positioned outside, "I'll be in there for most of the day. But there's a public courtyard where you can stay until I'm done."

He pointed to the left and Addy turned to see an open archway into a lush green park. Addy perked up a bit, reminded of the parks around the Mage tower. She hurriedly said goodbye to Gryan and they went their separate ways.

The public areas of the Keep were pristine, with lush green grass and large beautifully trimmed trees in a large open courtyard which was situated on the edge of a sheer cliff that overlooked the shoreline and the horizon against the grey waters of the Great Sea. She supposed it would be a beautiful view in the summer, but now the sky was clouded over and the air blowing off the sea was cold. The courtyard was filled with people, groups of noble ladies walking together and chatting comfortably, a few families playing with children and others simply laying down on a blanket, reading or drawing or doing whatever caught their fancy. Addy noticed spitefully that everyone around her wore fine clothing, with well washed skin and cosmetics and jewellery. It made sense, she supposed. Nobody who needed to work for their meals would have time to waste socializing in the castle

Near the western side of the courtyard there were several large sand filled arenas pitted with training dummies and racks of training weapons. About a dozen men and women were in the pits, wrestling and sparing. Addy tilted her head, watching them as they trained with a frown. They were extremely talented. She knew that she was fairly good with a sword, but looking at the men and women training in front of her, she felt more than a little inadequate.

But she still felt better than how she compared to the ladies of the court, in their fine silks and powdered faces. So she walked over to the edge of the sword arena, sitting in the grass and watching them practice with her head resting on her knees.

As she watched the men and women spar she took mental notes, observing with interest that she'd been preforming several techniques incorrectly for years. She watched the sword fighters dance around each other in such a graceful way that Addy felt jealous. Any attempt at footwork in swordplay usually result in her tripping over her own feet and nearly impaling herself. But these men and woman flipped and twisted and turned with ease in order to best each other.

A few of the ladies were sitting on a stone bench nearby, fanning themselves despite the brisk autumn air. They were speaking a giggling to each others, speaking softly, but not quietly as Addy was still able to hear everything they were saying.

_"He's not betrothed, as far as we know."_

_"Really? Why not?"_

_"I'm not sure, but I know that my father is going to be sending a proposal offer to the king."_

Addy blinked to herself as she realized the two Ladies were talking about Prince Anduin. She suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if just by listening in she was actively participating in gossip about the Prince. She tried to focus on the sword fighting, but the voices of the Ladies carried and she felt herself listening in regardless.

_"What about Princess Greymane?"_

_"If he was going to marry the Princess, they would have been wed already. At least, that's what my father says."_

_"Perhaps I will see if my father intends to submit an offer. He has grown to be rather handsome."_

Addy flushed, and immediately shut out their voices. It was incredibly inappropriate. She found herself jumping to her feet and walking over to the weapons rack, determined to find a distraction from the conversation.

She lifted the different swords until she found one that was close to the weight and length of the sword she used back home. She felt a pang of sorrow at the thought of her lost sword, but shook her head. People had lost their lives in the attack, she had no right to be upset over a stupid sword.

She walked over to a dummy on the far side of the arena, away from the rest of the fighters. None of them seemed to take notice of her and she felt a bit more confident. Looking around she noted that not a single person had looked her way. Letting out a small breathe of relief, she lifted her sword, adjusting her grip as she prepared to face the dummy.

She went through the usual motions as she remembered them. The same exercises that Gryan had taught her and which she used to spend hours practicing. Much to her dismay, her arms quickly tired and she soon found herself out of breath. Just how out of practice was she? She paused to roll her shoulders a few times before, picking up the sword and trying again, continuing with her routine.

But eventually it proved to be too much for her. The sword twisting awkwardly in her hand, which quickly cramped causing her to drop it. She let out a small cry as the sword slashed her arm open on it's way to the ground, and quickly grabbed the wound with her hand, distancing it from her to avoid getting blood on the Innkeepers dress.

"Are you alright!"

Addy jumped lightly, her head looking up to see a man standing in front of her. She recognized him as one of the swordsmen she'd been watching earlier and flushed in embarrassment.

"It's fine." She assured him briskly.

He walked over, holding out his hand, "Give me your scarf, I'll wrap it for you."

She stiffened, suddenly very aware of the scarf covering her neck and hiding the horrendous scars from view.

"It's fine." She repeated, reaching deep into herself and allowing the light to flow out into her hand. The cut was clean, and fresh, so it knit together easily and quickly without any mark of it ever happening.

The man let out a puff of relief, "That's good. truth be told I haven't the faintest idea how to wrap a wound."

She offered him a tight smile, "Well, thanks anyway."

He smiled and then jogged back to where he was practicing. Addy felt a breathe of relief and even a small smile on her face. She was thankful that the man didn't comment on her slip up or make fun of her poor swordsmanship. She allowed the blood on her arm to dry and then raised her sword again, ready to continue practicing.

It was sloppy. She couldn't believe how much she'd let herself go. No wonder she'd been so exhausted trying to heal Katie.

She felt a burst of rage and held her sword up again, and swung it around to attack the dummy.

***

The sun had set half an hour before. Gryan rubbed his hands over his face as he walked out of the war room and into the throne room, making his way towards the open courtyard where he'd left Addy. He assumed she'd have left by now, but he felt obligated to check.

He was surprised to find her in the courtyard arena, using a sword against a wooden dummy with a Horde tabard on it. She was the only person left in the courtyard, which was dark and only lite by torches on the castle walls. As he approached her he could hear her heavy breathing and see the wet stain of sweat on her back. Her arms were shaking dangerously and he could tell she was damned near close to exhaustion.

"Adeile?" He called gently, using her full name.

She paused, blinking rapidly as she turned to look at him, "Hey Gryan."

He hesitated for a moment before walking towards her, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, her eyebrows furrowed, "I'm fine. Why?"

"Well..." Gryan approached slowly. She'd been wound tightly since she'd performed last rites for those who had died in the Cathedral. More than once she'd snapped and nearly bit his head off and he was a bit cautious now that she held a sword. "You look about ready to collapse."

"Oh." Addy paused for a moment and her face paled, "Oh!"

Gryan rush forward and grabbed her as she fell. He helped her back to her feet, throwing one of her arms around his neck, "You idiot girl, how long have you been doing that?"

"Er..." Addy stumbled as they started to move forward, "I started not long after I got here."

Gryan shook his head, "No wonder. Have you eaten anything today."

"I've gone whole days without eating before."

"Not when you've been so active. Your body needs nutrients."

Addy shrugged as much as she could, "I needed the practice. I'm out of shape."

Gryan snorted, looking down at her. She was still too skinny. Over the last few years he'd been forced to see her get thinner and thinner as the famine continued. She always refused to accept food from him, assuring him that she was doing good. He never believed her, but he could hardly force her to take food.

"You're hardly out of shape." Gryan grunted as they got to the front gate and started the long trek down the stairs, "You're still malnourished. You can hardly expect to be competent with a sword when I can count each of your ribs individually."

Addy grunted, using her other arms to rub her chest self consciously, but didn't argue for once.

"It's gonna take time for you to get healthy again, kiddo." He assured her, a surge of protectiveness going through him, "That means eating the food that the Innkeeper brings you. Betsy's been telling me you're not eating the whole thing."

Addy wrinkled her nose, "I'll only use the allowance for the bare minimum, I don't need that much food."

"Yes you do." Gryan retorted, "Eat the food, build up some meat on your bones. And don't repeat what you did today."

"I was fine."

"Yes and that's why I'm practically carrying you home."

Addy's face fell for a moment and Gryan inwardly winced at his own idiocy. He knew she was homesick, but would never admit it to herself, and the idea of the Inn being her temporary home scared her more than she'd say.

Addy cleared her throat, "I'll be fine. I'll get better over time. And stronger."

Gryan sighed. She was always too hard on herself, "Fine. But promise me you'll eat, and rest. Over working yourself won't help, you'll just end up hurting yourself.

She nodded quickly, wincing as they walked over the rough cobbled streets of the Dwarven district towards their room. When they walked into the Inn Betsy immediately started fusing over Addy, grabbing her by the arm and leading her away. Addy looked back for help but Gryan just chuckled, giving her a small wave as she vanished around the corner.

Gryan smiled, shaking his head as he wandered over to the bar and ordered a drink. Unlike Addy he was not opposed to spending the crowns money, and was more than thankful when the Bartender gave him a frosty mug filled to the bring with golden amber. He sipped at it lightly, trying not to think about the meeting of the day.

They had finished interviewing the final known Warlock Cult. A young worgan girl had come to represent the cult from Darkshire, and she'd spoken candidly enough. But Gryan was still frustrated. They had been sure it had to be one of the cults, but if it was it was either a Horde cult or an unidentified group. Westfall had been searched top to bottom and from what they could tell there, whoever as involved in the attack had long since left.

Gryan took another deep drink of his beer. Scouts had brought back information about the countryside, and the farms that littered them. It hadn't been good news. The demons had torched the ground, and the homes that resided on them. Addy's vinery hadn't been spared.

He hadn't had the heart to tell her yet - that her home, her farm, everything she's spent her life working on, had been burnt to ash.

Gryan finished the rest of his drink, tossing down a few copper to pay for it, as he turned to his room. He was too tired to start that conversation with Addy tonight - no doubt there would be a lot of yelling and tears involved, and he didn't think his heart could take it right now.

When he got to the room he saw her passed out on her bed, her red hair sprayed out on her pillow and snoring very lightly. He walked over and pulled the covers over her, knowing how cold the nights had been. He leaned down and pressed a soft whiskers kiss to her forehead, before moving back to his bed, letting his beer quickly lull him into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a short chapter. This was originally meant to be attached to the last chapter, but then it turned out too long, and it didn't fit in the next chapter at all, so it's now it's own chapter. So no Anduin still chapter still, but next episode is gonna have so much Anduin it's gonna blow your socks off.
> 
> Super double thank you to everyone for their lovely responses. Seriously the comments I get for this fic are some of the nicest of any fandom I've ever written for. I can't believe that i've gotten such a positive response. You are the best!
> 
> -Ash


	8. Starships

He was getting distracted.

Anduin had been in the library every day for over a month, pouring over some of the oldest tomes they housed. Books about the War of the Ancients written in old Darnassian, Thalassian, Common and even a tome in Draconic. The basic tale of all these books were the same, but the demons lay in the details, and there was a very specific detail he was looking for.

His eyes flickered out the library window again, looking out into the large courtyard. He could see groups of noblemen and women, as well as groups of citizens on their days off, all milling around enjoying a rare day of sunshine in an otherwise dreary season. Perhaps on a normal day he would have enjoyed it, sneaking out to a small cave nearby that he liked to spend time in when he needed to get out of the castle for a few hours.

But it wasn't a normal day. It had been over a month since the attack on Westfall and they were still no closer to determining who had orchestrated the attack, why they had attacked, or even how they had managed to pull it off. His father spent his time in meetings and each day he left them looking more frustrated than the day before. Anduin knew that they weren't getting anywhere.

He glanced down at the book, his eyes finding the strange passage in old Darnassian that he was having troubles with. While he spoke and wrote in fluent Darnassian, the language in this book was thousands of years old, and it had been giving him a headache for days now.

A flash of red caught his eye and once again he found himself peeking out. His eyes quickly found the source of his disruption and he swallowed.

Miss Fairchild had been coming to the courtyard every day for just about a month now, practicing with a sword at the dummies for hours. She never spoke to anybody, nor did anything else. He ideally wondered if she had taken his advice and continued her training, but he never say anyone training her - just her, alone, with a sword. 

And he found himself watching her constantly. She was quite impressive - she wasn't particularly short, but she was thin, and almost fragile looking. It seemed ludicrously impossible that she should be able to wield such a large two handed weapon. Yet she seemed very comfortable with it, if not a bit out of practice. 

He shook his head, clearing his throat. He needed to focus.

He looked down at the book and continued to read.

'...when the invasion forces became too numerable to count, our leaders had to make the most horrible of decisions, to stop the ships they closed the city off to the sea and the eyes of Elune...'

He frowned. There was a word in the passage that didn't make much sense to him. Kalshasil. The translator had written that the word most likely meant 'boat', but Anduin was uncertain, he'd never seen the word anywhere else before.

He gathered up the book, feeling determined. He knew that something was there, it was on the tip of his tongue.

He wandered out of the library, scouring the courtyard as he searched for someone in particular. Finally he spotted her, standing in the shade of a large apple tree and reading a long scroll.

He wandered over to her, "You're up late."

The night elf looked up at him with her large glowing eyes. Her impossibly long hair was braided long and the red markings on her face made her look terribly angry with everyone around her. Once she recognized him she climbed to her feet, standing at least a foot over his head.

"Prince Anduin." She tilted her head, "How nice to see you again."

"You as well Emissary Jademoon." He nodded back politely, before lifting his book, "I was hoping you might be able to help with a translation."

"Certainly." Jademoon was one of only a handful of Night Elves who lived in Stormwind, and as such she was no doubt used to his constant questions. She had been of great help when he had been learning the language.

He opened the book, quickly pointing out the word for her to read, "The translator suggests it means boat."

Jademoon tilted her head, "The author is partially correct. 'Shasil' is a very old word for a water vessel. A boat or a ship. It's easy to see how he would have been confused."

Anduin blinked, looking between her and the text as he felt his insides jump. He could feel nervous excitement start to build up inside of him. This was it...he'd finally found something.

"I...thank you!" Anduin beamed at her, closing the book and moving to leave, "You've been very helpful, thank you!"

He rushed off, leaving an amused Jademoon in his wake as he ran back to the library, looking at the papers.

It made sense to him now. The translator had assumed the word simply meant boat because of the reference to blocking he seas. But he'd ignored the rest of the sentence...

He gathered up his papers, including the book with the image he'd discovered with Miss Fairchild. He finally felt like he had enough to bring this to his father. An image in a book mixed with a first hand account. There was no way he could dismiss this!

He ran out of the library and down the halls, barely watching where he was going. His father should be out of his daily meetings by now, and would o doubt be resting in his private quarters.

Anduin was so embroiled in his private thoughts that he didn't see the man coming down the corridor, until they collided.

His books went scattering across the floors and Anduin blushed at his own absentminded excitement, "Oh I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No, it's my fault your highness."

Anduin blinked as he got a good look at the man, recognizing the salt and pepper visage of Captain Stoutmantle, "Captain! Does this mean my father's out of his meetings then."

The Captan chuckled, reaching down to help him pick up his papers, "Yes. His Majesty's quite free now Your Highness. I believe he said he was going to retire early tonight."

Anduin inwardly rolled his eyes. Yes if 'retiring' meant he was going to start drinking early and spend the rest of the night boiling over letters in his office. "Ah, yes. Have you and he finally worked out a plan for Westfall then?"

The Captain seemed a bit uncomfortable, but nodded, "For the most part yes. The King is planning on buying out the damage farmland from the owners and turning most of it into military posts. I believe he plans on working with Druids and Shamans to try and restore the rest of it back to its former glory."

"Is it that bad?" Anduin asked. He hadn't seen the state of Westfall since the attack, but he couldn't imagine it was any good.

The Captain looked pained, "The demons poisoned the earth, as if it wasn't already hard enough to farm. I doubt the land will be arable for years. It was hard to come to a decision like this, but the Crown has promised they will return the land to the families who lived there once the area is secured."

There was a hint of warning in his voice, and Anduin had no doubt that the Captain would fight to make sure they held up their end of the deal. But Anduin wasn't worried, he knew his father wasn't one for making shady dealings. 

"And they will be." Anduin promised.

The Captain grunted, handing him the last of his papers and Anduin could see how deeply upset the man was by the news. Anduin could understand why, Westfall had been home to many people. Even now there were groups who had refused to leave when the province had been evacuated.

Once again he found his mind going back to Miss Fairchild. He remembered seeing her for the first time in the refugee camp in Goldshire, covered in dirt and mud and demon blood. Hadn't the Captain mentioned she was a farmer? He imagined she'd be crushed by the news.

Anduin looked up at Stoutmantle, hesitating a moment as he wondered if his question was proper. But his curiosity was too strong., "Can I ask you about Miss Fairchild?"

The Captain startled, "Addy? What about her?"

Anduin was surprised at the fierce protective tone of the man, but maintained his composure. "I had the chance to speak with her a few weeks ago, and I was wondering if she has decided to continue her training or not."

The Captain didn't respond right away. His eyes narrowed at the Prince, as if searching for some nefarious intention. 

Anduin quickly continued, "I've seen her training almost every day." He explained.

The Captain relaxed somewhat, but it was obvious he cared about her, "It's her way of coping, I think. But no, I do not believe she will continue her training."

Anduin frowned, "Well it might not be my place, but I was hoping you might convince her to. She's very strong with the light, it comes to her naturally. She'd make a magnificent Paladin."

There was a sad look on the Captains face and Anduin realized that the old man had come to the same conclusion. He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, "Unfortunately I've taught her all I know, Your Highness. I'm no teacher, and if Addy wants to continue her training she's going to need a proper instructor."

"I'm sure that could be arranged." Anduin explained, "Stormwind is full of trainers, I'm sure it wouldn't take much effort to find one willing to take on another student."

The Captain was silent, and Anduin could see him debating with himself over something. Eventually the man looked down and leaned in slightly, speaking quietly.

"I'm sorry Your Highness, but Addy simply cannot afford a trainer. Hell, the girl could barely afford to eat most days."

Anduin blinked, staring at the man in surprise. In all honesty the thought that she couldn't afford training hadn't even occurred to him. But now that he thought about it, he had been rather short sighted. She'd come from Westfall, the poorest of all Alliance lands. He remembered when he'd seen her, and how thin she'd looked. He suddenly felt like a fool. He prayed that he hadn't come across as poorly as he feared.

But as much as money was an issue for her, it was an issue that could be easily resolved.

"What if I found a way for her to afford it." He suggested.

To his surprise, the Captain snorted, "Good luck with that Your Highness. That girl's the most damned stubborn fool I've ever met. Her pride's the size of Thandol Span. I doubt she'll accept anything you give her."

Anduin frowned. He hardly wanted to force her to accept a gift. But if money was her only obstacle then he wanted to help.

A thought appeared in the back of his mind. A way for him to give her enough money to afford her training, without actually giving her the money directly. If he did it properly, then she would never need to know...

But now was not the time for such things. He had to speak with his father.

He said his farewells to the Marshall and push thoughts of Miss Fairchild to the back of his mind. Right now he needed to focus on the task at hand, later he could think about the young paladin.

He walked up to the large oak doors to his fathers private quarters, nodding politely to the guards standing on either side of the door. They both bowed in unison, before moving back into an upright position, staring straight ahead blankly. He pushed past them, walking comfortably into his father's room.

"Father?" He called out, looking around. His fathers bedroom wasn't very lavish beyond what the builders had crafted. The stone walls were bare, and the furniture relatively ascetic. His bed was covered in thick furs and there was a roaring fireplace against one of the walls. 

"In here."

Anduin walk over to the far wall, going through a door into a private study. A desk was pressed up against a wall, covered in parchments and scrolls and messy maps. His father was reading a letter with a pinched look on his face.

"What do you make of this?" His father handed him the letter, looking annoyed.

Anduin shifted the books in his arms so he could reach forward to grab it. He quickly scanned the letter and felt his own annoyance rise.

"Draenor?" Anduin set his books down in his fathers desk, "What on Earth do they need more troops for?"

"Apparently Frostwall has been showing signs of 'aggression'." His father shook his head, "They're the Horde, they're always showing signs of aggression."

Anduin could understand his father's frustration. They had been in a state of relative peace with the Horde for some time now. A tentative peace, perhaps, but a peace nonetheless. Any signs of aggression from either side could very easily result in that peace being broken. 

Anduin offered his opinion, "Tensions are still high on Draenor, and Frostwall is a military garrison. Any movement they make might be construed as aggressive, despite how they were intended. And sending more men to Lunarfall, in what's supposed to be a peaceful situation, could very well be seen as aggressive by the Horde."

His father's face softened, watching Anduin with a strange look on his face he couldn't quite place. After a few moment he smiled, nodding, "I agree."

Anduin felt a burst of pride in his chest at his father's praise, as mild as it was. For a moment he almost forgot why he'd come in the first place.

Almost.

"I think I found something about the ship." Anduin shifted awkwardly to pull out the book he'd borrowed from the Cathedral, "I thought it sounded familiar and I found this picture in a book on Ancient Kaldorei art forms. Addy confirmed that it matched the one she saw in Westfall."

His father raised a eyebrow, "Addy?"

Anduin flushed red as he realized his mistake, "Er- Miss Fairchild. The one who reported the ship at the meeting."

Once again his Father's face shifted into something Anduin didn't recognize, but whatever he was thinking he didn't comment, instead reached for the book Anduin handed him. He flipped it open to the page he had marked and looked at the picture with a frown.

"Do you know when this is from?" He asked.

Anduin shook his head, "The painting itself is a replica of an earlier painting, I can't be certain but I figured the War of the Ancients is a fair guess. Which is why that's where I started doing my research and eventually I found this."

He pulled the second book and handed it to his father. His father took it and scanned the page, both of his eyebrows vanishing into his hairline.

"Light. You can read this?" He asked.

"Sort of." Anduin shrugged, "I had help, but that's not the point. This whole section here deals with an Ancient Kaldorei city which, when under attack by the Legion, shielded themselves to help stave off attacks from the Legion's shasil, their ships."

"Alright." His father nodded, "But that could very easily mean sea vessels."

"Yes, but the word they used in the writing wasn't Shasil, it was Kalshasil." Anduin paused, holding his hands out. But his father just looked confused, "Alright, Shasil is sort of a....slang word, for ship. It's regional, and isn't actually used nowadays. The translator of the book knew that, but he assumed the full 'Kalshasil' simply meant ship, but it doesn't."

His father seemed to understand for a moment, "Kal....as in Kaldorei."

"And Kalimdor." Anduin nodded, "Stars....A Ship of Stars."

His father sucked in a breath, looking at the book with worried eyes. "Did you find any mention of these ships in any other periods of time. Any other races?"

"Not that I could tell." Anduin shook his head, "There might be some information from the Trolls, but there isn't exactly an overabundance of Troll works in the library's collection."

The King chuckled lightly, but looked at the book grievously. Anduin cool see the stress in his shoulders and the growing lines on his face and they worried him more than he would admit. 

"It doesn't mean anything." Anduin tried to look optimistic for his Father, "Maybe it's a relic? Some warlocks found it from the War of the Ancients and repurposed it. It's only one ship, and the book mentions half a dozen attacking the city..."

Anduin trailed off at the look on his fathers face. A grimace as he tried to avoid his sons eyes.

"What is it?" Anduin swallowed the lump in his throat.

His father rubbed his hand over his face, walking back over to his desk and trifled through the papers until he pulled out a scroll with a red wax seal. Anduin was nervous as his father handed it over to him.

He opened it and read the words on it quickly, his eyes widening in horror.

"There was another attack." His Father repeated what the scroll said, "In Azshara, near Orgrimmar. And there was a ship."

Anduin swallowed, closing the scroll, "What's the chance it was the same ship?"

"That report comes from Mathias himself." His father took the scroll back, placing it on his desk, "And as far as we can tell, the attacks happened simultaneously."

Anduin felt the blood drain from his face. An attack right near the capitals of both the Horde and the Alliance, at the same time? On two separate continents? This whole thing was getting much larger than either of them expected.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions yet." Varian gave him a weak smile, clapping his hand onto his shoulder, "Mathias suspects that it's likely the culprits wanted each side to think they were being attacked by the other. Luckily it seems cooler heads prevailed."

"They almost didn't." Anduin pointed out, "Both Genn and Aunt Jaina jumped at the attack. If someone is trying to start a war-"

"I know." HIs father sighed, looking tired, "I'll speak to them. They may hate the Horde, but neither of them would take kindly to being played as pawns."

Anduin watched as his father poured himself a whiskey and for the first time wished that he drank. He could feel the stress of the situation drilling into his bones and a headache forming above his brow, "We should open a channel with Vol'jin." He father pullded a face and Anduin rolled his eyes, "Father, if someone is trying to create a rift, then communication is going to be key."

"You're right." His father grunted, looking like he'd smelled something terrible. "I'll make sure they know about our attack, if their spies haven't informed them already."

His father looked at him, his eyes swimming with such affection that Anduin felt like he had to look away.

"When did you get so good at this?" 

Anduin chuckled, "I've always been good at this. You've just gotten better at listening."

Varian chuckled, cuffing his head lightly, "Cheeky brat." Anduin smiled as his father tossed his arm around him, giving him a tight half hug. Over the last few years they'd become closer than they ever had been. Gone were the angry fights and tense dinners of his teenage years. For the first time since he'd been a child he finally felt like he had a good, carefree relationship with his father.

"So what now?" Anduin asked, the moment passing momentarily, "Do we know anything else?"

"We know it's not the Horde." His father spoke, "Nor any known Warlock cults, however that still leaves unknown warlock cults, or Horde cults. Some have suggest the remnants of the Iron Horde or the so-called 'True' Horde."

Anduin shook his head, "We need to speak with Vol'jin. They might know something we don't."

Varian nodded, looking pensive. Finally after a few moments of thought he obviously came to a conclusion.

"I'll write a letter, have Shaw get it to him. And in the meantime, I think I'll take a little trip."

"A trip?" Anduin blinked, "Where?"

"I don't want to cause a panic where none exists." His father moved to his desk flipping through the papers, until he found a spare piece of parchment and the blue Alliance seal, "But we need to investigate this ship. The Horde might know something, but we can't wait for their response, and if it is the legion..." He trailed off.

Anduin swallowed. He didn't even want to think about that.

His father sighed, "I'm going to go to Darnassas, speak with Tyrande. If anyone knows anything about the War of the Ancients, it'll be someone who was there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If I ever told you how much I cry over Varian and Anduin's relationship I'd have to go into hiding.
> 
> Good news! I'm back in the country, so hopefully I'll be able to actually write some more. Also I'm hoping to work through 7.2 and eventually get ahold of that delicious Anduin cinematic (my small boy's all grown up).
> 
> Thank you so much for everyone's kind comments. Sorry I'm kind of terrible at responding, but seriously you guys are the best and maybe I'll get better at it because I'm a travesty right now. But you guys are stars!
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	9. Good Will

Chapter 9: Good Will

Addy was woken up early by the sound of a heavy plated hand knocking at the door to their room. She rolled over, looking beadily at Gryan. The Captain was dead to the world, a low snoring echoing around the room and a line of drool escaping his mouth. Addy rolled her eyes, groaning as she stepped out of bed, shivering as her feet hit the cold stone floor. 

She tip toed over to the door and opened it to see a city guard standing outside their room, wearing the blue and gold tabard of Stormwind with a large horsehair plum that was so tall he barely fit into the hallway.

"Hello?" Addy frowned, almost entirely certain the man had the wrong room.

The guard held out a tightly wound scroll, "For Miss Adeile Fairchild."

Addy blinked. Who would be sending her mail? She nervously took the scroll from the guard who tilted his head respectfully and walked away down the hallway, his plate armour echoing loudly.

Addy retreated back into her room, opening the scroll uncertainly. She looked over the unfamiliar writing and the signature, which sat beside a fancy wax seal. It was very official looking.

She walked over to Gryan's bed and poked him lightly on his shoulder. He grunted awake, his eyes unfocused as he looked around, until his gaze landed on her.

"W'ya want?" He mumbled.

Addy landed him the scroll, "What is this?"

He groaned loudly, pulling himself to a seated position, rubbing his eyes as he blindly reached out for the paper, which he rolled open. His eyes scanning the letters easily. By the time he finished he looked marginally more awake and significantly more uncomfortable.

"Oh." He grumbled, "That's what he meant."

"What?" Addy frowned, looking at the scroll like it might magically make sense to her. "What who meant? What is it?"

Gryan looked at her sadly, "Addy...the crown has bought your land."

Addy stared at him blankly for a few moments. Bought her land? Her land wasn't for sale, "I don't understand..."

"Until such a time the attackers have been caught, the King has basically decided to declare Westfall a non-civilian zone. As such they've offered monetary compensation for people who owned land there."

Addy stayed silent, completely numb as she looked at the paper in front of her. Already she could feel a burning rage filling her but she pushed it down. "How much?"

Gryan shifted, "Er-"

Addy snatched the letter out of his hands, scanning the paper furiously. She might not know how to read, but she knew her numbers. She quickly found what she was looking for and bristled furiously.

"500 gold!" She all but shrieked, looking at Gryan furiously, "Did they find a bloody gold mine on my property?! This is ridiculous."

Gryan rolled his eyes, "Just take the money Addy, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. It's probably just compensation for the inconvenience of losing your home."

"Did everyone get 500 gold?"

Gryan suddenly got very uncomfortable and Addy narrowed her eyes at him, instantly suspicious.

"What is it?" Addy held the letter under his nose, "Does this say something else?"

"No." His voice went a few octaves higher.

"You're a terrible liar! What is it Gryan? I swear to the light I will find someone to read this to me and If I find something-"

"Alright! Alright." Gryan held out his hands, "Fine. But don't blow up over this alright?"

"I'm calm." Addy fumed.

Gryan took the letter and scanned it, looking very tired, "While the crown did buy land from people in Westfall...it appears that your land was bought by someone else."

Addy was jolted out of her anger, confused, "What? That doesn't make any sense, if someone other than the crown could buy my land, why couldn't I just keep it."

"Well..." Gryan trailed off, his face twisted in a grimace, "Your land was bought by the crown...just not the King."

Addy felt her stomach drop in horror. 

***

Addy spent nearly six hours hacking at dummies to vent her rage. She destroyed a few of them, but felt slightly vindicated that the crown would have to pay to replace them. The others practicing that day gave her a wide berth and a few even looked a bit scared of her flashing weapon. She ended up slicing her hand more times than she could count with her sloppy swordsmanship, but once she was about to collapse from exhaustion she felt better.

She avoided Gryan like the plague. After he'd told her Prince Anduin had bought her farm she'd erupted, and once she calmed down she realized how childish she'd been. She felt her face warm up just at the memory.

She decided to head back to the Cathedral, which she hadn't visited since she'd perform last rites for Katie. It was a bit busier than she remembered, with the throngs of priests who'd travelled to Goldshire having returned. She spotted Father Thompson walking along the edge of the lake and he gave her a smile before continuing on his way.

But once the sun started its descent towards the horizon, and the chilly autumn air took on a painful bite, Addy decided it was time to head back to the inn.

She opened the door to her room slowly, peeking her head in and hoping that Gryan wasn't home yet. But unfortunately he was, reading several parchment letters in front of the roaring fireplace.

He looked up when he heard her enter, giving her a sad smile, "Hello."

Addy immediately knew something was wrong. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes and there was a note of sadness to his words that itched at her senses, "What's wrong?"

He rubbed his face, his hands gripping the letter in his hands, "New orders. I'm going to be taking a contingent back to Sentinel Hill. The King's going to start rebuilding and sending armed forces to secure the land."

Addy immediately forgot about her embarrassment and rage over her earlier outbreak. Instead her face breaking out into a wide smile as she beamed in excitement, "Finally! Do you think I can go back to my farm? I haven't accepted the money yet and I want to see how bad the damage is."

Gryan was silent as she scurried around the apartment, grabbing her backpack.

"When are we leaving?" Addy asked, picking up a few pieces of clothing with a frown, "I'll have to wash these before I return them to Betsey."

"Addy..."

"I'll need to buy a new dress before we leave, mine was ruined." Addy wrinkled her nose, "I'll pay you back when we get home."

"Addy."

Addy paused, looking back at Gryan curiously. He was still looking at the parchment, his lips pursed tightly together. Addy got a sense of foreboding. "What?"

Gryan paused for a moment, swallowing tightly, "Westfall is still off limits to civilians."

Addy felt her throat close up, but tried to act casually, "So?"

"Addy..." Gryan voice was exasperated, "I'm being sent back to Westfall...but you can't come with me."

Addy froze, her backpack still in her hand. The tension in the room was thick and Addy knew that Gryan was waiting for her to freak out. But instead she was silent, looking down at her bag and trying t ignore the growing pain in her chest.

She tossed the backpack roughly onto the bed, "Then I'll just have to join the army."

"Really?" Gryan scoffed.

"Yes." Addy stood up straight, crossing her arms as she dared him to argue with her. "I'll do it."

"No, you won't."

"Yes, I will!" She huffed.

"You're being a child."

Addy clenched her jaw, glaring at him, "I'm not a child!" She snapped.

Gryan stood up in his chair, marching over to her until he stood in front of her. He leaned down so they were face to face, "Alright, so you join the army. You'll spend the next six months in training, most likely out in the middle of nowhere. After that you'll be assigned a post. Maybe you'll be a city guard? Or maybe you'll be sent to Honor Hold or even to bloody Northrend! If you're really lucky you'll be sent to Stranglethorn to watch for poachers, or to the middle of Silithus to kill bugs. The point is that once you join the army, you don't get to decide where you go, and there's a thousand places on this world, and the next, that they could send you before you ever get to see Westfall again."

Addy didn't realize she was crying until her vision blurred and a torrent of tears fell down over her cheeks. She quickly looked down and used her scarf to wipe them away. Her lip quivered and she turned away, not wanting Gryan to see her cry. She was an ugly crier.

"I just want to go home." She sniffled.

She felt a large, rough hand land on her shoulder and she struggled to keep herself from loudly sobbing. She wanted to go home so badly. She hadn't known how homesick she was until she realized she might never be able to go home. She missed her small farm, walking through the rows of vines, watching the sun rise over the horizon as she picked the fruits. She missed her cellar where she and her grandfather used to stomp grapes, singing and making games of it. She missed the people, people she'd grown up alongside and who might not even still be alive. She hated the mountains and the trees and the busy cobblestone streets. All she wanted was her lumpy straw mattress and her threadbare blanket and for everything to be like it was when she woke up to a freezing cold morning.

"Addy." Gryan's voice was thick, "There's nothing left."

A sob escaped her at that. She covered her mouth quickly and tried to compose herself before turning back to face him, "It was my home. I don't have anywhere else...and now you're leaving. What am I supposed to do?"

Gryan gave her a sad smile, "I thought you liked living on your own."

Addy had liked living by herself. She liked not having to make small talk and deal with the drama and gossip that came with living with other people. But at some point, she wasn't sure when, she realized that she had also been incredibly, indescribably, lonely.

Addy swallowed the lump in her throat, "What am I supposed to do here?" 

"The King has given everyone an allowance to stay where they are until things settle down." Gryan explained and Addy scoffed. She didn't want any more of the damned Crown's money. Gryan gave her a disapproving look and continued, "The allowance is enough to pay for the room here and for food, so if you want you can stay here."

"How long do you think I'll be stuck here." She wiped away her tears.

Gryan shrugged, "I'm not sure. Until the King's sure there won't be another attack I doubt he'll let anyone back into Westfall. So be prepared."

Addy huffed in annoyance, "So what? I'm supposed to just sit here and wait for something to happen? What if they never find the answer?! Do I just live here for the rest of my life?"

"Do you want my advice?"

She didn't. She'd rather just spend her time whining and lamenting over the unfairness of it all. She already knew what she had to do, she'd have to find a job, a place to live and possibly start a new life. Even if she ever went back to Westfall it would take years to fix her farm and rebuild her home. She didn't need someone to offer advice, she just needed someone to listen to her.

But Gryan continued anyways, "I want you to go to the keep and collect your money and start your training again."

"I can train myself." Addy snapped at him sharply. "I've been working every day."

He shook his head at her stubbornness. He started to move around the room, putting away the things she'd gathered when she'd believed she was going home. She wished she could hold onto that moment of happiness forever.

"Using a sword and healing the odd wound does not a paladin make, Adeile." He explained, "You need training, proper training, if you truly want to continue on this path. If you want to become a paladin, you're going to have to swallow your pride and accept some help."

Addy didn't respond. Instead she clenched her jaw angrily, and looked at the floor. She didn't want to have this argument right now. She didn't want to have any argument.

Gryan signed, looking down in defeat, "I just want you to be happy."

How could she be happy? She was stuck in a strange place away from the only home she could remember. Everyone she knew was either dead or leaving, and she didn't know if she'd ever be able to go home. Her daily mood usually teetered between numb boredom and thinly veiled rage. She didn't think she could ever be truly happy again.

She gave him what she hoped was a convincing look, "I'll think about it."

He smiled sadly, walking over to press a kiss to the crown of her head, whispering into her hair, "You shouldn't lie."

Addy pursed her lips together, looking down and absentmindedly whipping the remainder of her tears off her face.

Gryan wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick, tight hug, "Don't go to bed mad."

Addy gave him a watery smile, "I never do."

He gave her a wide smile and gave her one more whiskery kiss to her temple before blowing out the candle and going to bed.

***

Only a few days later, Addy watched Gryan leave Stormwind with a large group of soldiers and militia members. It seemed like they were nearly emptying the city as they made out to secure the southwest borders of Stormwind and Westfall. Addy sat on the deck of a nearby cheese shop, her chin in her hands as she watched them pass. 

She spotted Gryan near the rear of the group, one of the few atop a horse as they walked towards the gates. He spotted her and gave her a smile, waving goodbye. She waved back, trying not to look quite as miserable as she felt.

And then he was gone.

Addy expected everything to feel different - but it didn't. Somehow that made it worse. Everything should somehow be terrible, but it was the same. The same overcast grey skies, the same jumbled groups of people going about their daily lives. Addy supposed she was being selfish, but secretly she wanted everyone to feel as bad as she did.

She sat on the porch until the owners of the shop shoo'd her away with a broom. Addy debated walking back to the inn, but being all alone in her room would feel weird knowing Gryan wasn't coming back.

Instead she started to walk towards the keep. Addy had felt weird coming here without Gryan the first few times, but she usually came once a day to vent her frustrations on the dummies and a few of the guards even nodded at her as she passed. 

She got to the courtyard, zipping between groups of wealthy merchants and noblewomen who had switched to warmer wool coats since the first time she had appeared. The wind was bitter cold but Addy knew that she'd be sweating soon enough either way. She wasn't sure what would happen once winter came. The courtyard was open to the sky and the arena where she practiced would no doubt be filled with ice and snow. She'd been excited by the prospect of seeing snow, but now she just felt melancholy, knowing Gryan wouldn't be there to enjoy it with her.

Addy grabbed the sword she usually practiced with and walked over to the dummies. She looked over to the others practicing, and watched their movements, studying how they twisted and shifted their feet. She did a few slow practice movements before she allowed herself to slip into a routine, a mixture of old moves and new ones. She attacked one target, then tried to shift her feet like she'd seen, moving to another target. 

She gasped as her foot slipped under her and she struggled to regain her balance. Addy huffed to herself, moving back and preparing to try again. She attacked the first dummy, then twisted, throwing her arm out into a wide slashing motion to slice into the dummy behind her.

"Woah!" A figure behind her dropped suddenly as her sword swung over his head, nearly taking his head off.

Addy's eyes went wide, and she almost dropped her sword in shock as she realized who was standing there. Her face went deathly pale, and she panicked, "Your Highness!"

Anduin Wrynn stood up, dusting his tunic lightly, his face bright and all smiles, "Hello."

"Are you alright!?" Addy moved forwards and studied him, looking for any sight of injury. She looked around to see if anyone had seen her nearly kill the crowned prince, and flushed as she realized there were quite a few people watching. A small group of noblewomen seemed aghast, but the swordsmen and women fighting nearby just looked amused, and were laughing behind hands.

"I'm fine." The Prince chuckled.

Once Addy was certain he was fine, her concern was replaced with rage, "Hasn't anyone every told you not to sneak up on someone with a sword!" She snapped at him.

"More than you'd know." He quipped, "But I'm fine. No harm, no foul."

"Easy for you to say." She spat, "One scratch and your father would've had me drawn and quartered!"

Prince Anduin opened his mouth to argue, but then paused, wincing lightly, "I wouldn't let him do something like that."

Addy rolled her eyes, "That doesn't fill me with confidence."

He wrinkled his nose, but then he smiled at her again. Addy frowned in annoyance. Was he ever not smiling? 

"I saw you practicing." The Prince explained, "From the library and I was wondering if you wanted a partner."

Addy narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "Excuse me?"

"You're practicing footwork, right?" He motioned to her feet, "It's usually much easier to do with a fighting partner."

Addy didn't saw a word, her eyes still narrowed. She watched him for a few moment, trying to see if he was making fun of her. But his eyes were aggravatingly sincere.

"You've been watching me?" She accused, her voice biting.

The Prince's eyes went wide, and his face flushed tomato red as he tried to stutter out an explanation, "N-No! Not like that, I..." He scratched the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at her, "I was studying in the library...and the courtyard's right here and...I promise it's not as creepy as it sounds."

Addy would have found his embarrassment endearing if she wasn't so incredibly angry at him. She watched his stumble through an explanation expressionless, her face in a semipermanent frown.

"Er...." Prince Anduin seemed to realize she didn't really care about his explanation and just cleared his throat, "So what do you say? Do you want to spar?"

Addy glared at him for a few more seconds, before shaking her head, "I don't think thats a good idea. I don't want to end up in The Stockade for injuring the Crowned Prince." She spoke his name mockingly, but he didn't notice.

Instead he gave her a lazy smile, "You're assuming you could get a hit on me."

Addy felt a rush of rage at this, her face flushing as her gaze darkened further. She felt her nostril flare as she gripped her sword a bit tighter, clenching her jaw as she watched him,

"Fine." She bit out through gritted teeth, "Let's fight."

The Prince beamed at her, obviously not picking up on her rage. He wandered over to the sword rack, holding a number of them before he decided on one, studying it. Everyone in the courtyard seemed to freeze as they watched him handling the sword, hushed whispers the only sound beyond the howling wind coming from the sea. But the Prince either didn't notice or didn't care as he walked over and took a stance opposite to her. Normally she would have been horrifying at so many people watching her, but right now she couldn't think about anything other than her own anger. Her home was gone, Gryan was gone, and the man in front of her seemed to think that some of his rich boy money would make it all better. 

She moved into a familiar stance, holding her sword out in front of her as she prepared to spar with the prince.

He moved quickly, much quicker than she’d anticipated, lunching forward and twisting to deliver what would have been a debilitating blow to the back of her knees. Without thinking she jumped up so that his sword passed harmlessly under her feet and quickly tuned to face him again. Before she’d even stopped moving she swung her sword towards the left side of his undefended neck, preparing to stop the blow just before it made contact.

But instead of hitting skin, her sword slammed against the Prince's, who pushed his blade to the hilt of her sword, twisting with his whole body, causing her sword to go flying out of her hands. Before she could even turn to see where it landed she felt the tip of the Prince's sword resting under her chin.

Addy was breathing heavily, almost snarling in rage at how easily he'd bested her. 

He lowered his sword, moving back to his position across from her, "My father always told me my greatest strength was that people underestimate me. That because I'm a priest I don't know how to use a sword." He held up his sword, "Again?"

Addy huffed, her face still red as she moved to stand in her starting position again. She had underestimated him - she wouldn't do it again.

This time he didn't hit as fast, knowing he had given away his advantage. They circled around each other cautiously. Addy quickly tried to look for any weaknesses. She knew he had been grievously injured many years ago, resulting in a weak leg. But she didn't know which leg it was.

Again, the Prince struck first. He moved forward to strike at her side and she quickly parried. He twisted around her and Addy struggled to keep up, trying not to trip as she moved with him, their blades locked together until he jumped backwards. Addy immediately brought her sword up, preparing.

He waited a few moments, watching her uncertainly before he lurched forward again, this time moving to her ankles. She stepped out of the way and gave a strike of her own, again towards his neck. He ducked and kicked out with his leg towards her knees and she yelped, falling face first into the sand.

She rolled, making sure she had her sword and climbed to her feet. She was momentarily disorientated as she tired to locate him. She spotted him and her threw her sword up just in time to parry his blow, which caused her feet to slide back a few inches.

Her eyes flickered down, looking at his legs, trying to determine which one he favoured. He had kicked her with his right, but to do that he would have needed to put all his weight onto his left...

She decided to take a chance and swung her sword in a wide arch to his head, which he parried. Once their swords connected she kicked out the back of his right knee.

He yelped in pain, and his leg immediately crumpled, causing him to collapse to one knee. Addy took advantage of it immediately and kicked his sword away, pressing her blade to his neck.

Prince Anduin rubbed his knee, wincing lightly but then held up his hand. Addy was confused for a moment but then she realized he was waving off his guards, who had been approaching them with their hands on their swords.

She paled as she realized what she'd done. She quickly rushed over and held her hand out, "Are you alright Your Highness?"

The Prince looked up at her, giving her a reassuring grin, "Oh I'm fine. Just have a bad knee. That's all."

Addy immediately felt guilty. He had assumed it had been an accident. She cleared her throat awkwardly, not quite willing to admit that she'd known about his knee and kicked him there anyways.

He climbed to his feet, stretched his leg out, "See, no harm."

Addy clenched her jaw, nodding sharply before moving to pick up her dropped sword and marching back to the weapons rack. She placed it back and dusted off her dress. "I'm done for today."

As soon as the words left her mouth it was like the world unfroze and the normal hustle and bustle of the courtyard resumed. The ladies resumed their gossiping, the family continue their playing and the soldiers went about their daily practice.

Anduin walked over and Addy glared at his limp like it had personally offended her, "Are you sure?" He asked, "It's not as bad as is looks, trust me."

"It's not that." She didn't make eye contact, "I'm just finished. It's been a long day and I wish to return back to the inn."

He studied her for a moment, and then it was like a light bulb went off in his head as a look of understanding came over him, "You're upset with me." He stated.

Addy repressed her inner rage, "No."

He sighed, looking down, "And you're afraid to say anything because of my position." Her silence must've been all the confirmation he needed. He gave her a light look, trying to look non-threatening, "It's alright. I promise not to imprison you." He joked.

She turned and glared darkly at his condescending joke, making him blink in surprise. But she took his words to heart and stormed over to him, ripping the parchment letter out of her belt and holding it up to his face.

"What is this?" She snapped at him, no longer trying to disguise her rage.

The Prince seemed taken aback, but didn't respond. Instead he took the letter from her and opened it, reading over it with furrowed brow. As he realized what it was his face seemed to simultaneously go pale and burn bright red.

"Oh." He squeaked, then coughed to clear his voice.

She folded her arms, "Explain."

Once again he was a bit of a stuttering mess, "Er, well it's...uh....well they weren't supposed to put my name in it." He grumbled to himself. "You were just supposed to think the crown bought it."

Addy wasn't impressed. "For five hundred gold!" She shrieked, "You could work that vinery for ten years and not make that much, and that was before it burned to the ground!"

"It was supposed to be to help." He urged, his eyes pleading with her silently.

"It's bloody charity, is what it is." She retorted, not thinking that she should watch her language around him. All sense of decorum had abandoned her as every ounce of stress and anger from the last few days erupted.

"It's for your training." The Prince continued, "Captain Stoutmantle mentioned that cost was a major hurdle for you."

Addy took a step back like she'd been struck, flushing as humiliation rushed through her, "He had no right to tell you that."

"Maybe not." Anduin nodded, "But I wanted to help."

Addy snatched the letter out of his hand, crumbling it as she balled her hand into a fist, "Then help somebody else!"

And without a second glance behind her she stormed out of the arena, trying to ignore the curious glances of the people in the court, and the large hurt eyes of Anduin Wrynn, who watched her leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter actually took me forever to write, because I had no idea if I wanted it to be more than one chapter or not, but I eventually decided for it to be one. The stress of everything seems to be getting to Addy, and before anyone says anything about her being to whiney or annoying please keep in mind she'd a 19 year old girl and, well, is prone to acting like one sometimes.
> 
> I actually wrote the scene where she spars with Anduin a long time ago, way before 7.2 and the cinematic, and it worked out rather nicely with that, didn't it? I just couldn't imagine Anduin not knowing how to use a sword, knowing who his father is. But you can decide if Addy defeating him means that she's really good, or if he's just not very good.
> 
> Next chapter has another bonding moment between Anduin and Varian and Addy gets a job.
> 
> Feel free to drop a review with any comments, concerns or questions or come visit me on my WoW Exclusive tumblr medvh. You guys are awesome and make my day every day!
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	10. Diplomatic Policy

The next morning Anduin's leg still hurt. It was his own fault. His leg hadn't bothered him in months, but he'd been warned not to aggravate it too much. He wasn't sure what he'd been thinking, offering to spar with Miss Fairchild. He was more than a little out of practice, and the sword had never been his strongest suit. He'd been much more suited for bows, daggers and small maces than large two-handed weapons.

He suspected that Miss Fairchild had deliberately targeted his knee. He'd seen a flash of guilt in her eyes afterwards before it was replaced by rage.

And she had been angry. Very angry. It had taken him surprise, honestly he'd thought she might have been warming up to him. When he'd first spoken with her in Goldshire she'd been rude and stiff, most likely unsure how to talk with him. But when they'd met at the Cathedral she had been animated and excited, eager to learn what she could.

He'd thought buying her farm anonymously was the perfect solution. She got the money and never knew where it came form. It had been perfect...theoretically.

But then she'd found out. Just a simple mistake, the scribe who'd written the letter hadn't been told not to put Anduin's name in it. To be honest, Anduin had been kidnapped by a black dragon, faced Garrosh Hellscream, and spent weeks lost in a strange and foreign land; but he didn't think he'd ever been as terrified as he'd been when Miss Fairchild tossed that letter in his face.

Although that might have something to do with her kicking her ass a few moments before.

Chamberlain Banner woke him up just before dawn, telling him his father had requested his presence. Anduin had groaned, rubbing his stiff knee as he dressed, washing his face with cool water to try to appear more awake. His father had alway been a morning person whereas Anduin was a night owl. Just last night he'd been up late into the night trying to find more information about the ancient city mentioned in the Old Darnassian book.

He walked to his father's room, giving a quick knock on the door. He heard his father's gruff 'enter' from the other side and Anduin walked in.

There was a chest in the centre of his father's room, and the man himself was pulling his shoulder length hair into a tight elastic at the back of his head, spotting Anduin through the mirror.

"I'm leaving for Teldrassil today." He spoke, grabbing his belt with the golden lion head which had once belonged to Anduin Lothar, securing it around his waist. "I'll be gone for a week, hopefully. Since the attacks, Tyrande has closed all portals in and out of Darnassus so we'll be porting to Exodar and taking a ship to Rut'theran."

Anduin inwardly pouted, upset that he'd miss a chance to visit his mentor, Velen. But he had a more concerning issue at hand, "Can't Lady Tyrande make an exception?"

"No." His father gave him a stern look through the mirror, "And she shouldn't have to. She's doing what she has to to protect her people. If I had it my way I'd take the Skyfire the entire way, I hate portals. You never know if you're going to come out in one piece."

Anduin snorted, "Yes, and nothing bad ever happened to you while travelling over seas."

His Father turned and ruffled his hair affectionally, "Brat."

Varian walked over to the bed, where there was a small pile of parchments and scrolls which made Anduin groan inwardly. He picked them up and handed them to his son with a small smirk.

"I'm sure you'll be able to handle these." The King seemed far too pleased. Anduin read through them, eyeing dozens of daily reports from various outposts throughout Alliance land. He groaned audibly this time, and his father laughed.

Anduin huffed at him, walking over to the bed to set them down. He winced as his knee sparked in pain and prayed that his father hadn't noticed the limp.

But luck wasn't on his side.

His father narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "What's wrong with your leg."

"Hmm?" Anduin tried to look nonchalant "Oh nothing. Aggravated it yesterday, is all."

"Doing what?" His father appeared perplexed.

"Nothing." Anduin hoped his voice didn't sound as squeaky as it seemed, "Just...stuff."

His father raised a single eyebrow at him in disbelief.

Anduin sighed, looking skywards for help, "I was sparring." He mumbled.

Varian's second eyebrow shot up to join the first, looking at his son in surprise, "You were sparring?"

Anduin straightened at the tone of disbelief, his tone indignant, "Yes. Yes I was."

"You?"

"Yes.

His father paused for a moment, furrowing his thick dark eyebrows, "Are you sure?"

Anduin snorted, chuckling lightly, "Yes, I'm sure."

His father still looked like he didn't quite believe him, "Why?"

Anduin cleared his face which suddenly felt a bit warm, "I have a- " Friend? Maybe not. "Acquaintance, who was in need of a sparring partner. So I volunteered."

"Huh." His father walked over to the open chest, dropping in a few more items before snapping it shut, "How did it go?"

Anduin motioned to his knee is response.

"Was he good?" His father asked, and Anduin immediately got the feeling he was probing for information.

"She's alright." Anduin replied honestly, not sure where he was going. 

"She?" His father perked up a bit.

Anduin rolled his eyes, "Not like that. She's just an acquaintance, I barely know her."

"I didn't say anything." His father raised his hands in surrender, but there was a smirk on his face Anduin didn't like. "She kicked your ass, huh?"

"Well it appears that she was rather upset with me." Anduin defended.

Varian startled, "Why was she upset with you?"

Anduin flushed red, and looked anywhere but at his father.

"Oh light." His father looked skyward, "What did you do?"

Anduin looked sullen, "I was just trying to help."

Varian looked skeptical,

Anduin sighed and launched into an explanation of his attempts to help Miss Fairchild with her Paladin training. HIs father stayed silent and let him going through his explanation without making a single comment, only nodding his head and continuing to pack his trunk in silence as Anduin spoke.

Finally once he was finished, Anduin held his hands up, "So?"

"So?" His father repeated, "So what?"

Anduin gave him an incredulous look, "What should I do?"

"About your crush."

"Yes!" Anduin exclaimed before he realized what he'd said, and backtracking, "What? No." 

His Father was watching him with a raised eyebrow and for the first time anduin realized he was hiding a smile rather poorly, "You have a crush."

Anduin scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively, "No I don't."

"Really?" HIs Father walked over to a small wooden bench by the window to his room, grabbing his gauntlets, and started to tied them on, "So, you bought a farm for, frankly, an outrageous amount of gold, so she could afford expensive paladin trainings, and even sparred, which you hate doing; all for a woman you 'barely know'."

Anduin paused, but then cleared his throat, "Yes."

Varian shook his head, grabbing his thick winter cloak, "I must say it's about time, nineteen is too old for your first crush."

"It's not a crush." Anduin repeated in annoyance, before doubling back, "And it's hardly my first."

"Oh, right." His father smirked wickedly, "Tyrande."

Anduin's felt his face grow warm as he sputtered, "I was fourteen!"

"You were adorable."

"Alright!" Anduin grabbed the parchments, holding his hands out, "I'm leaving."

"Wait." His father moved forward, and Anduin stopped, noting the seriousness in his tone, "You want my advice?" Anduin paused, but then nodded. He was still genuinely stumped on how to move forward with the situation. "To be honest I'm not exactly a people person." 

Anduin snorted. 

His father ignored him and continued, "But, you are. Much better than me. Now the best way for me to explain is to think of it from a diplomatic perspective. Imagine your 'acquaintance' as a foreign group who isn't acting the way you'd expect. What do you do?"

Anduin paused for a moment. He'd always been good at diplomacy. He got along famously with most people, and even had made friends among Horde leadership. If he could get along with the Horde, he could figure out how to get along with Miss Fairchild.

"Alright." Anduin nodded, deep in thought, "If a group was behaving erratically, we would...approach with caution, and try to take stock of the situation."

"And if they behave aggressively?" Varian prompted.

Anduin paused, wondering what answer his father wanted. A few years ago his father would have responded aggressively in kind, but he didn't think that was what he was suggesting. But his father had been much more diplomatic recently, much more open to taking Anduin's suggestions and advice.

Anduin swallowed, "I would take a step back, and try to evaluate what's causing the aggression."

"So?" Varian asked, "What's causing the aggression?"

"She thinks I'm giving her charity." Anduin replied quickly, "That I'm helping her because I pity her."

"Do you?"

"No!" Anduin denied, "No, I just...I wanna help her because I can, and because...I don't know." He deflated, "I don't pity her though. I just thought if she had an opportunity then to do what she always wanted..." He trailed off, feeling dejected, "I don't know."

His father placed his hands on his shoulders, leaning down so they were face to face, "And the next step is to try and get rid of the source of the tension."

"I'm not taking back the money." Anduin said sharply, "I don't care if she never takes it. I want it to be there so she'll always have the chance."

His father leaned up, his eyes sad, "Then you might just have to live with her anger. But to be honest I'm not the best person to speak to you about this. Maybe you should talk to someone with a more...feminine, touch."

Anduin snorted, "Yeah? Like who? Jaina?"

His father winced. Anduin knew it pained the King to know that his son and his friend didn't quite get along like they used to - it pained Anduin as well. They had been so close when he was a child, but after Theramore and her sudden shift in personality, they often found themselves clashing over every little thing. It saddened him that they had reached a point where he didn't feel comfortable going to her with things like this.

A thought tickled Anduin in the back of his mind. An idea of who he might be able to talk to. He cleared his throat, smiling at his Father, "I'll figure something out."

"Why are you so bothered anyways?" His father seemed perplexed, "People are always mad at you, you've never cared about their opinions before."

"Maybe I just want to avoid her kicking my knee out again." Anduin mumbled, rubbing his sore muscles.

"I did tell you to guard your left side more furiously."

"Yeah, yeah." Anduin rolled his eyes in good faith, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Varian snorted, but nodded, grabbing two winter gloves and a small rucksack. Anduin made to leave but a hand grasping his arm made him stop.

His father was standing close to him, his voice barely above a whisper, "Speaking of aggressive foreign nations. I've sent a missive to Vol'jin, about the attacks, to suggest a...cooperative investigation."

Anduin blinked in surprise, looking at his father with wide eyes, "Really?"

Varian nodded, "For reasons I'm sure you could understand, I haven't shared this information with the other leaders yet...especially not Jaina and Genn."

Anduin winced. "Are they out for blood?"

"Not as badly as before." His father relented, "Especially when they learned of the attack in Azshara. But they won't respond well to communications like this. So until we Vol'jin's response, I think it'll be best to keep this hush."

Anduin wasn't sure how wise it was to be keeping information from the other leaders, but nodded anyways. He'd keep this secret, for now.

His Father smiled, leaning down to press a quick kiss to the top of his head before straightening up.

"I'll only be gone a week. Try not to burn it down before I come back."

Anduin waved him off, "Get out of here old man."

His father ported out an hour later, and immediately Anduin was hounded by courtiers and nobles and soldiers handing his scrolls and listing off statistics. Anduin rubbed his forehead, as he walked towards the petitioners chamber, knowing the next week was going to be a huge headache.

***  
Addy stayed in her room for the next three days, moping. The innkeeper, Betsy, brought her soup and bread twice a day and told her the day's gossip, chatting about people who she didn't know and places she'd never been. Addy never responded, but Betsy didn't seem to mind. The kind old woman seemed to genuinely enjoy taking care of her. 

She was guilty. Despite what Gryan said she knew she couldn't stay here. She needed a place to live if she was going to be here for any amount of time. And more than that she needed a job.

Addy asked Betsy if she was looking for someone to help out around the inn. But Betsy had sadly informed her that they had a full staff at the moment. Addy tried not to feel too dejected, she'd known it was a long shot.

"Is there anywhere else that might be looking?" She asked the woman hopefully.

Betsy was thoughtful for a moment, before a dark look came over her and she pursed her lips, "It's a bit hard to find jobs in the city I'm afraid." Addy let out a disappointed breath, "But..."

Addy perked up, "What is it?"

Betsy seemed reluctant to say, "It's a seedy place. Not a place where you'd find respectable folks. But I heard the Slaughtered Lamb is looking for a cleaning lady."

"Where's that?" Addy frowned, "I've never heard of it."

"I'd hope not." Betsy held up a finger, "It's no place for a young lady to find herself."

"Please, Betsy." Addy jutted out her lower lip and gave large watery eyes that used to turn Gryan into putty in her hand, "I need a job, and I want to stay as close to home as possible."

Betsy chewed on her lip for a few moments before cursing under her breathe, "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you girl!"

Betsy gave her quick directions to the Slaughtered Lamb, which was on the opposite side of the city in the Mage district. Addy didn't know what kind of seedy establishment was in such a beautiful part of the city, but she didn't mind. She could handle herself against a few rowdy bar goers. 

She left in the early hours of the morning. She knew she would take an extended route to the Mage District, walking along the canals rather than taking the quicker route through the busy Trade Distract, which still scared her a little bit. The walk was nice, if not a bit cold. If she got a job the first thing she would buy was a winter cloak. The windows had been frosted over that morning, and no doubt it would start snowing soon.

The Mage District wasn't as busy as it had been last time she was there with Gryan. Before there had been people sitting and studying on the green grass surrounding the giant Mage Tower. But now there was nobody, the cool weather driving everybody indoors. 

Addy followed Betsey's directions until she found the sign that labeled the Slaughtered Lamp. It was on the outskirts of the district, and looked much more worn down than the usual gleaming stone of the surrounding buildings. There was a single handing sign, weather worn and squeaking in the wind. She swallowed, a feeling of dread entering her as she walked up the stairs, and into the building.

The inside looked relatively normal, like a worn down version of the Golden Keg. Long beer stained tables with long benches and a single bar against a wall. There wasn't anybody behind it, and only a single patron of the bar, sitting in the back corner and nursing a large glass of something that looked stronger than beer. He didn't even look up as she entered, so Addy ignored him and wandered over to the bar.

"Er..." She swallowed, looking around, "Hello?"

Instantly a man popped his head out from behind a door she hadn't seen, making her jump. He was tall and skinny, with pale translucent wrinkly skin and a large forehead. His teeth were stained yellow and his fingernails dirty and cracked. Despite this he was dressed impeccably, with well fitting clothes in fine cotton and linen and shoes which snapped gently against the floor as he walked over to her.

He looked over her suspiciously, like the idea of someone like her coming into his pub was suspect. Addy shifted awkwardly and tried not to look threatening.

"I uh..." She cleared her throat, "I heard you were looking for a cleaning lady?"

The man's face didn't change, scanning her like he was looking for something in particular. His eyes landed at the scarf on her neck, which had fallen, showing off a part of her scar. She flushed and hurriedly covered it back up, hoping that it hadn't just cost her the job.

But instead of saying anything he motioned towards the back of the pub, and towards two door in the corner next to the single patron, before walking towards them. Addy took the message and quickly followed.

"Do you have any experience working in a Pub?" he asked, his voice soft and quiet, but with a hint of malice which frightened her slightly.

"No." Addy answered honestly.

"How about as a cleaning Lady."

Addy blushed, "Er-No?"

The man paused in front of the door on the right, turning to look at her with a pencil thin eyebrow raised, "Have you ever cleaned anything."

Addy straightened, indignant, "Well, yes. Of course.'

The man smiled wryly, and opened the door, holding his hand out for her to enter. She felt a bit hesitant, but walked through it. 

On the other side was a a small room with three other basic doors. She frowned, waiting for the strange man to hurry through, grabbing a rusty key from a large key chain and opening the door on the right.

"I can't pay you much." He said, "A silver a week."

He paused, looking at her as if waiting for her to argue or angrily storm out. But instead Addy gapped at him.

"I made less than 15 silver a year in Westfall." She said blandly.

If he was surprised he didn't say anything, instead pushing the door open, "This is your room."

Addy nodded. The room was smaller than her room at the inn, which was for two people. There was a single thin mattress against the wall below a small window, and an old wardrobe against the far wall. There appeared to be a small closest which she assumed was a water closest. All in all it was more than she expected.

"How much?" She asked, looking at it.

The man snorted, "Nobody's ever wanted to stay here before. But it's included."

Addy couldn't believe her luck. It was like she had hit the jackpot! A job, and a place to live? There had to be some sort of catch.

She turned to the strange spindly man, "Why hasn't anyone stayed here before?"  
"Ah, Well." The man coughed into his hand, "Let's just say there are some practices that occur on the premise that may not be entirely....sanctioned."

Addy startled, "Like what?"

"Nothing to be worried about." The man assured, but Addy wasn't assured. "Nothing you'd be involved in. But I would have to ask that you not enter the door to the basement."

Addy chewed on her lip, looking back at the room. How badly did she really want this place? Betsy had seemed pretty nervous, even just giving her instructions on how to get here. But then again, the man had said she wouldn't be involved in whatever they got up to behind door number two.

It took her only seconds to decide.

She turned and gave a wide smile to the man behind her, "When do I start?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You would not believe the day I've had. My first day off in a while, I'm super excited to sleep in and WHAM 5:30 in the morning we get hit with a 6.2 earthquake. Woke me the fuck up. But I managed to get back to sleep. But mother nature is a tricky bitch, so 2 hours later at 7:30 ANOTHER earthquake hit, this one 6.3. Like lord, let me sleep.
> 
> Sorry this chapter was a bit late. One of the managers at work quit rather suddenly and I had to cover all her shifts. Sigh. But that's over now and hopefully I'll have time to actually write again.
> 
> Yay for filler chapter! Not much happened this chapter, but stay tuned for next week when Addy meets a stranger who knows a little too much about her past, and yells at someone who isn't Anduin for a change.
> 
> Drop by a comment if you enjoyed it and thank you so much to everyone who commented last chapter. I swear I'll get better at the whole replying thing. I used to be so good at it, but I promise I'm working at it.
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	11. Surveillance

Addy found that she enjoyed her new job. She spent her days cleaning dishes and tables and generally helping out around the bar. The pub didn't get very many visitors, and most of those who did would vanish behind the mysterious door to the basement and stay behind it for hours. A few gave her curious looks, others sneered and some even laughed at her. Addy didn't know what the joke was, but she never asked. She found that the longer she was there, the less she wanted to know about the comings and goings of the strange people.

She'd packed up her stuff from the Golden Keg, giving Betsy a teary goodbye and taking her meagre belongings across town to her new home. She kept the one dress Betsy had given her, as well as her white scarf. The wardrobe in her new room was empty, and her only belonging was her small backpack with her coin purse. 

But she felt better. She was working for money, instead of having it given to her. She earned her room, and it was her own. The strange man, who had later introduced himself as Mr. Tim, said she could do whatever she wanted with it as long as she didn't damage it. She thought about buying some flowers to liven it up, and to mask the dreadful smell that seemed to seep up from below her.

She got one day off a week, on Sunday. It came much quicker than she thought, and she soon found herself unsure of what to do with herself. Before Gryan left she spent most of her time up at the Keep, in the courtyard. But she remembered her encounter with the Prince and wondered if she should risk running into him.

Instead she decided that she should write to Gryan.

She knew that there were ways to send letter's, even if she couldn't write. She had a handful of coppers saved up, as well as her weekly silver. She left the silver under her mattress and grabbed her scarf and her copper, heading out into the city.

After asking for directions, she soon found herself at a public scribes office. She paid a few coppers and dictated a short letter to Gryan. She told him about her new place and new job - she only mentioned it was in a pub, not which pub. Judging by the distaste in Betsey's eyes, she doubted Gryan would be all too pleased with her choice of employment.

She also left out her sparring match with the Prince. She could already hear his patronizing tone as he bemoaned her lack of respect. 

The Scribe handed her the letter, pausing only a moment before he did so.

"I'm not usually supposed to comment." The man spoke hesitantly, "However, if you're sending this letter to Westfall, you're going to have to send it through the military mail system."

Addy wrinkled her nose, confused, "Er...how do I do that?"

The scribe gave her instructions to the military postal office, and she went on her way. It was located in a small alcove just off of Old Town. Old Town itself wasn't exactly the best place to find oneself on a good day, and as Addy walked through she kept one hand on her coin purse. The alcove was a lot nicer than the grimy district, reminding her of the green parks of the Mage District. There was a large building to the left which seemed strangely empty, and a smaller building to the right, near a large stable which held what must've been half a hundred horses. Addy gave them a wide berth. Once when she was a child she saw a stable hand get kicked in the gut by a frightened horse. It wasn't something she wanted to experience.

The Office was mostly empty, with just a single officer in a Stormwind tabard sitting behind a desk, scribbling with a quill. 

Addy walked over to him, holding her letter in her hand, "Er...Hello?"

The officer looked up, giving her a friendly smile, "Hello Miss."

"I, Uh... I wanted to send a letter?" 

He nodded, pulling out a new piece of Parchment, "To whom?"

"Captain Gryan Stoutmantle."

The man nodded, "Which company?"

"Er..." Addy froze, staring into nothing as she racked her brain. Did Gryan tell her before he left? She wasn't entirely sure. 

The man took pity on her, giving her a friendly smile, "Where's he stationed?"

Addy heard the sound of the door open behind them, but ignored it, "Sentinel Hill, Westfall."

The officer nodded and scribbled it down, and Addy handed him the letter. He told her to wait a moment as he walked into a back room with it.

Addy waited awkwardly, looking around the room. She spotted the lone man who had walked in, a red haired man reading a scroll with a frown. He looked up when he spotted her and gave her a smile which didn't seem nearly as friendly as the officer behind the desk.

"Hello." He nodded at her.

Addy winced, hoping the man wouldn't try to start a conversation, "Hello."

"Miss Adeile Fairchild, correct?"

Addy startled, whipping her head so fast she strained her neck, staring at him incredulously, "Excuse me?"

"Nineteen years old, moved to Westfall with your grandfather when you were five. Father was Dalmas Fairchild, Mother Philomela Fairchild, missing, presumed dead-"

"Excuse me." Addy repeated, her teeth grinding together in rage as she glared at the stranger in front of her, "Who the hell are you! And how do you know these things!?"

The man gave her a wry grin, looking amused by her anger, "Just had to make sure. My name is Mathias Shaw."

He paused as if he expected her to know what that meant. She just glared at him, clenching her fists at her side, "Who are you!" She repeated.

"My apologies." He said unapologetically, "I'm the head of Alliance intelligence. It's my job to...know things about people."

Addy loosened a bit, but she still glared at him. "What do you want?" She snipped.

"Well." Shaw rolled up the scroll he'd been reading, slipping it into his belt, "There are people who wish to know about the girl who'd caught the Prince's eye."

"Oh, light." Addy groaned, hoping her cheeks didn't look as red as they felt, "Look, he asked to spar with me."

Shaw chuckled, shaking his head, "I am not concerned with that. The King simply likes to know what kind of people his son spends his time with - and whether or not he should be concerned."

Addy sighed. She probably should have expected this. The King's fierce overprotective behaviour concerning his only son was legendary. The only thing that surprised her was that she hadn't been approached much sooner.

"So?" Shaw questioned, "Should he be concerned?"

Addy scoffed, crossing her arms as she shrunk in a bit, "Look, the Prince spoke to me. I never once went looking for him. In fact, as far as I'm concerned I could go the rest of my life without ever speaking to him again."

Shaw chuckled, "Yes you seemed quite upset with him."

Addy opened her mouth to respond, only to pause as a thought came to mind, "Have you been spying on me?"

"Not me personally, no." He seemed to find the idea laughable and Addy wondered if she should feel insulted, "But I have contacts in the Royal Court who found your exchange very amusing."

Addy immediately tried to think of anyone who had been in the courtyard that day. It had been the usual people. The same off duty city guards practicing in the sand pits, the same group of courtly ladies gossiping, the same families spending their time with their children...there hadn't been anyone new or notable that had caught her attention. She wondered which one of them had been spying on her since she arrived.

She swallowed, ignoring the sinking feeling in her gut, "Like I said. I have nothing to do with whatever the Prince does."

"And the five hundred gold he bought your farm with?"

Addy bristled, her face flushed, "You think I'm blackmailing him?"

"You can understand that the King is concerned." Shaw tried to defend himself.

Addy felt her fingernails digging into her palm as she tried to keep her cool, knowing it most likely wasn't a good idea to clock the Head of Intelligence in the face. "I haven't touched that gold, and i don't plan to. If you really had a 'contact' in the court, then they would tell you that I told His Highness where he could stuff it!"

A voice cleared their throat and she straightened, looking at the floor in embarrassment. She turned to look at the Post officer who stood there awkwardly, but still holding the same professional stance.

"Your letter will be sent within the week." He gave her an uncertain look.

"Thank you." She replied with a stiff smile.

She turned and gave Shaw one more deadly glare, before pushing past him and storming out of the post office.

How dare he make such assumptions about her! If he knew anything about her he'd know that his assumptions were unthinkable.

Her mind flashed to what he'd said about her parents. Missing, presumed dead. She wasn't sure what to think about that. She assumed it was because no bodies had ever been found, but she was pretty damned sure they were dead. Whether or not they'd stayed that way was the mystery.

Either way the man had no right to bring them up. She hoped he'd gotten whatever the hell he'd came for because if she had her way she'd never speak with him again.

Her rage made her walk towards the keep, subconsciously heading to the place where she usually vented her age. She paused in front of the main gates, chewing her lip as she stared through the doors. 

On one hand, whacking training dummies with a blunt sword always made her feel a bit better. On the other, she was terrified that the bloody Prince would be there, waiting for her. He'd mentioned that he spent most of his time in the library, where he'd seen her training from. Would be try to speak with her if he saw her there?

She could go somewhere else. But she was a creature of habit, and she was comfortable with the courtyard.

Addy steeled her shoulders. Damn him! The courtyard was a public area, and she wasn't going to let him chase her out of it. She liked it there.

Without another word she marched through the gates and through the keep, taking the steps two at a time as she made her way to the courtyard.

She stormed to the sand filled pits, immediately grabbing a sword without checking to make sure it was balanced properly, picked a dummy and started to whack. 

Sometimes the dummy was the Prince, other times it was Gryan or Shaw. Other times it was the Pit Lord or the King or whoever else she felt even mildly annoyed with. The sword was too heavy in her hands, so she tired quickly, but nearly destroyed the dummy in the meantime. 

Eventually she felt ready to collapse. The ground around her was filled with strewn straw and patches of cloth that had made the Horde tabard on the dummy. She ignored it, walking over to the weapons rack and placed the weapon back. She already felt a bit better, and not like she was going to hit the next person who spoke to her.

"Hello."

Oh boy.

Addy clenched her jaw, desperate to give whoever had made the mistake of speaking to her while she was in such a foul mood a chance. She turned to glare at the offending figure, but was surprised by who was standing behind her.

It was one of the courtly ladies who usually spent their day's on the benches on the edge of the courtyard, fanning themselves and gossiping about whatever had caught their fancy that day. The woman in front of her was probably around her age, maybe a bit older with pale skin and large doe eyes. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into an elegant bun at the base of her neck and she wore a large high necked blue dress in the Gilnean style.

She held herself up straight, watching Addy expectantly.

"Er...Hello?" Addy asked nervously.

The girl smiled, not a friendly one, but one that told her that she knew more about Addy than she was comfortable with, "How are you?"

"I'm fine?" 

The woman nodded, her head tiled slightly, "I'm sure you must be confused." Addy nodded, "I just say, some of the other girls were...curious about you. Considering ."

"Considering?" Addy bit, feeling a headache forming. 

The woman raised an eyebrow, "They're interested to know in your...relationship with the crowned Prince."

Addy clenched her jaw, "They're interested? Or you're interested?"

The woman smirked wryly, "Well...I can't say I'm not curious."

Addy rolled her eyes in annoyance, turning away from the woman to slam her sword back onto the rack. "Well there's nothing to tell. No relationship. No nothing. In fact..."

Addy turned back glare at the woman.

"I think I'd be perfectly alright if I never saw him again."

The woman tilted her head again, looking like she was studying her mentally, "Really?"

"Yes, really!" Addy snapped, done with trying to be polite.

"And the money?"

Addy recoiled like she'd been slapped, before her entire face burned red with humiliation. She looked around to see groups of people watching their conversation. Did everyone know about that? She saw the looks which she had assumed were curious, now looked suspicious and even accusatory.

"You think I'm blackmailing him." Addy hissed under her breath, furious that she had this conversation twice in one day.

"The Prince is paying you an rather incredibly amount of gold for practically nothing."

Addy fumed, "That was my home." She defended, "And I never asked for that money. He can keep it for all I care."

The noble woman nodded her head politely, which only made Addy more frustrated. Why couldn't she be as calm and collected as this woman. Instead she seemed like an uncivilized maniac, frothing at the mouth as she yelled at the rich and powerful of the land.

"You can see why people are concerned." The woman pointed out.

Addy's mind went back to Mathias, and her eyes narrowed. He'd said something very similar...

Addy flickered her eyes back to the noble woman, a flash of realization going off in her head, "You're the one Shaw was talking about. His 'contact' in the Royal Court."

The woman didn't respond, but she didn't deny it so Addy took it as a confirmation.

Addy suddenly felt exhausted. She wasn't sure how she'd ended up in the middle of this mess, but she sure as hell did want to be. Politics and court gossip bored her. All she wanted to do was practice her sword fighting in peace.

She glared at the woman, "I never once approached the Prince. I've spoken with him three times. Once at the Goldshire camps. Twice at the Cathedral when he was looking for information about the attack. Third when he asked to spar with me. If it's such a problem that we converse, take it up with him."

Addy grabbed her scarf which blew in the wind, making sure it was tucked into her neck. She marched away.

Before she got too far away she turned around and glared at the woman, who was watching her leave quietly.

"And tell him to stay away from me!"

***

Mathias Shaw stood in the shadows of the Keep of Stormwind. The Young Prince was in a meeting with several military commanders, discussing troop movements, surprising new situations and other day to day operations of the leadership of the Alliance. Shaw thought it was good that the Prince was getting this kind of opportunity. Growing up, Anduin had always tried to have a stronger foot in helping his father with the running of the kingdom. But Varian's vicious protective streak had kept Anduin at arms length. It seemed in the last few years that that barricade was fading, and the King was trusting his son more and more to the duties that would one day be his.

Of course Mathias had several of his people in the room with them, not that any of them knew that. But he had a duty to collect information.

The soft tapping of shoes against the marble floors of the keep caught his attention. He looked over to see a young woman walking towards him in a long blue dress.

He tilted his head in respect as she approached, "Your Highness."

Princess Tess Greymane nodded back, a smile on her face, "Master Shaw. A pleasure."

She walked over to him, holding out her hand. He grasped it lightly and placed a kiss on the back of her palm. He felt something shift into his hand from her's and he smiled, straightening.

She smiled back at him, "I'm hoping His Highness won't keep you long."

And without another word she continued on her way through the long hallway, do doubt heading towards her chambers to retire for the night. The Princess had a room close to her father in the keep, and fitting of her station. While her kingdom may be no more, people still offered her the respect she was due.

Mathias looked down to his hand, and the piece of paper she'd handed him. Only a handful of people knew of Tess Greymane position within SI:7 and he'd prefer to keep it that way. It was infallible to have someone in such a trusted position of power providing information. Tess Greymane had such an innocent visage about her nobody would expect her to be one of his top agents.

He unfurled the paper in his hands, reading over the words. A short coded message gave him information about several people she'd been keeping an eye on. A duke with ambitions near treasonous. A few soldiers who may have conflicting sympathies. And, of course, a small Westfall farm girl suspected of blackmailing the crown.

He read over the letter, a bit annoyed at Tess's direct approach. Mathias preferred a more subtle way of gathering information. Tess was much more forceful, sometimes going as far as to outright ask people for the knowledge she was seeking. She trusted her innocent demeanour too much and Shaw knew one day she'd get in trouble because of it.

The door to the briefing room opened and Mathias hurriedly tucked the scroll into the sleeve of his tunic. Two guards stood at attention as several men and women in their dress uniforms marched out of the room. Most of them seemed upset, some furious. Mathias was used to this. He'd rarely seen a man happy after a meeting with Varian Wrynn, and he doubted his son would be much different - no matter what the rest of the Court had thought.

The guard motioned for him to enter the room and Shaw nodded at them, walking into the briefing room.

Anduin Wrynn was rubbing at his forehead as he looked over a large pile of scrolls and parchments. The young prince looked a bit haggard, his hair slightly disheveled and dark circles under his eyes.

"How does he do it?" Anduin groaned, closing his eyes.

Shaw smirked as he walked over, "I believe the whiskey helps."

Anduin snorted, straightening with a wince, "Well I feel like now is about a time as any to take up drinking."

Mathias chuckled, walking over towards the table.

"What did you need Master Shaw?" The Prince asked politely.

Shaw pulled a thick scroll with a deep red seal on it. Anduin straightened up, his face becoming a mask of seriousness. "What's this?"

Shaw placed the scroll in front of him, "I believe it's a response to your father's letter."

Anduin swallowed nervously, but took the scroll. He broke the sigil of the Horde and opened the letter, his eyes moving over it. He saw the young Prince's eyebrow twitch upwards, no doubt because the letter had been written in Zandali, most likely as a power move. But Anduin didn't seem to have much trouble, his eyes moving over the letters.

Shaw already knew what it said. He'd read it hours before. He had his people open all mail sent to the crown. It didn't take much to put a poison power or potion into a scroll to kill whoever opened it. And letter's from the Horde were more scrutinizingly studied. 

The Horde was pulling their troops out of Ashenvale, and into Azshara to mount a defence of their northern border, very similarly to what the Alliance had done with Westfall.

"Tyrande will be happy." Anduin pointed out, and Shaw agreed. "Although I'm not sure how I feel about the Horde amassing their military."

"As long as it's focused on defence." Shaw pointed out.

Anduin nodded, "Let's hope it stays that way."

Shaw agreed. War was exhausting, especially for a rogue. He'd lost too many friends over the last decade. He wasn't eager to lose anybody else.

"No Horde warlocks involved." Anduin pointed out with a note of frustration, "And they have no leads on the source of the attack."

Mathias nodded, but he knew there was a 'but' in there. That the Horde had the same suspicions that they all did. The suspicions that nobody wanted to say out loud in fear of making it true.

Anduin rubbed his forehead again, "My father only arrived in Teldrassil a few hours ago. He won't be home for a few more days. Until then, let's keep this between us. I don't want Gryan and Jaina to find out the Horde is building an army, no matter whether or not it's for defence."

Shaw nodded, "And the other leaders? The Council? Mekkatorque?"

"I can't make a decision like that." Anduin shook his head, "Not without speaking to my father. We'll wait till he comes home. And then we'll decided where to go from there."

Mathias supposed if the young prince had one weakness, it was his indecision. He was barely more than a child and more often than not the master spy saw him second guessing his decisions when left in a position of power, waiting for his father to come and take control. But Shaw knew that confidence would come with experience. And the young Prince should have plenty more experience before he comes into power - years and years no doubt.

But very quickly Shaw realized that Anduin's leadership abilities were about to be put to the test.

Because in that moment, the sound of a loud explosion echoed through the room, causing the table they were standing by to shutter lightly.

Anduin and Shaw exchanged look of worry, before simultaneously running towards the large window and looking outside over the city.

But it wasn't the city. 

It was across the bay, over the skies of land you could barely see over the horizon. A large, swirling green mass with bolts of lighting and a roaring echo Shaw could hear from the castle.

Shaw felt his limbs go numb as he realized what he was witnessing.

Westfall was under attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yay rogues! I'm not a huge fan of playing rogues, but I loved the rogue class order campaign so I'm definitely including it. Also I love Tess Greymane, I think she's severely under utilized in the game.
> 
> Now that thats out of the way - thank you so much for the support for this story. You guys have been so amazing. Your reviews are so lovely and make my day. Feel free to follow me on my WoW tumblr @medvh.
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> -Ash


	12. Hook, Line, and Sinker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out. I must've worked 80 hours a week the last few weeks so I haven't really had time to get down and write.
> 
> Thank you so much for the positive responses! You guys are so great! Leave a review, it makes my day. And you can follow my WOW tumblr medvh, where I sometimes post updates on how my writing is going.
> 
> -Ash

For a full minute, Anduin couldn't do much but stare at the sky in shock. He was subconsciously aware of Mathias Shaw beside him, and the two guards who had stormed into the room, prepared to protect him should the attack move towards the city. He could hear screaming in the city below him and he felt sick to him stomach. His Father was a world away, and everyone in the city was looking to him.

He couldn't afford to panic. Right now, he needed to take action.

Without another word Anduin bolted from the window, heading towards the door. The soldiers moved out of his way, coming to attention as he passed. He head Shaw following him but he couldn't stop and speak with him. Instead he was mentally going over every single plan they had in place in the event of an attack on or near Stormwind. The last attack had been so quick all they could do was send reinforcements before it had all been over. But now most of their army was there, ready and waiting for such an attack.

As he walked down the halls he looked out each window he passed, trying to get a better view of the attack. He could hear people forming a small entourage behind him, several soldiers and commanders all speaking over each other.

"Your Highness, I've got three companies along the south east border ready to deploy at your command."

"Gryphons ready to fly, your Highness."

"We can send for reinforcements from Ironforge, Your Highness."

Anduin ignored them, stopping outside of a window with a good view over the attack. He held out his hand and a second later felt a metal spyglass in his hand. He looked out of it over to the attack, trying to get a better look at the portal.

And there it was - the large black ship that he'd seen in the art, and had been described in the book. It was just as Miss Fairchild had described it. It didn't appear to be taking direct part in the attack, just floating below the open portal as it spat fireballs down onto Westfall.

He lowered the spyglass, gritting his teeth in annoyance. They were here again, same attack, same place, and they knew just as little about them as they had the last time.

He turned to the group behind him, nearly a dozen people waiting patiently for orders.

"Keep all companies in the city." He ordered, "Strengthen the Borders, I don't want any demons getting into this city." He started to walk towards the war room, everyone following him, "Send gryphon bombers to help, but other than that I want the city closed off. Nobody comes in, nobody goes out."

Half of the group vanished, running out to complete his orders. Anduin swallowed and continued on his way to the war room, where the military leaders would be waiting for him.

He stormed into the room to see Admiral Jes Tereth, General Hammond Clay, Jaina and Genn all standing over a map of Westfall, arguing. They all paused when he entered the room. Genn gave him a soft smile and Anduin returned it, moving to look over the map before him.

"It's the same as the first time." General Clay explained as they looked at the map, "Focused on Sentinel Hill and Moonbrook - it seems like they're looking for the largest groups of people."

"Higher casualties." Jaina frowned, "They're looking to make a statement. They'll most likely look for civilian deaths."

"Civilian or not, it doesn't matter to demons." Genn snorted, "Otherwise they'd attack elsewhere."

Anduin stiffened slightly. He wondered if right now, at this very moment, there was another attack happening in Azshara. He shifted his gaze to Mathias Shaw, who had silently followed them into the room. They made eye contact and Shaw nodded, slipping out of the room. Anduin went back to the conversation, knowing Shaw would get information on the Horde.

"We should capture one." Jaina suggested, "Maybe we can get them to talk, find out who's been summoning them."

The door to the war room burst open, and a single guard came in, out of breathe.  
"Your Highness." He bowed clumsily, "You need to see this."

Anduin exchanged a quick look with the leaders before he walked out of the room, following he solider. He heard Genn and Jaina follow him out into the hall. The Solider brought him outside to the top of the keep which had the best view of Westfall.

The solider handed him a spyglass, pointing towards Westfall, in an area not near Sentinel, "There."

Anduin took it and looked through. But instead of looking towards the skies he pointed it at the ground. 

He wasn't sure what he was looking at. Westfall was close, but not close enough to get clear image of what was going on. He could see the clumps of black and green that seemed to belong to the small demonic pods that had been seen last time. 

There was a lot of them. In fact, there were so many that Anduin was having troubles distinguishing one from the other. They seemed to stretch along the entire north coast of Westfall...

He looked away, frowning. Last time there had been maybe ten of the pods scattered around Westfall. He could see hundreds of them along this coast alone. This attack wasn't like the last one.... He suddenly felt sick to his stomach as he realized what this meant.

He turned back to look at Genn and Jaina, who were waiting and watching him expectantly. HIs face was pale as he swallowed.

"It's a trap."

***  
Addy had seen the portal open from the keep. She'd been storming off, trying to stop angry tears from forming as she march down the stairs to the front entrance. She didn't think that she'd be able to come back to the courtyard to practice anymore. She just couldn't take the accessory stares and knowing whispers from the people around her. She'd already been humiliated enough for one lifetime.

The explosion was loud enough that Addy ducked, covering her head and trying to brace for whatever it was that had erupted. But after a moment of nothing she opened her eyes and peeked her head up, scanning the stairs. Several other citizens were crouched low and guardsmen were running around, trying to find the source.

A cry from a frightened women made everyone looked to look towards her. She was standing with a hand over her mouth, pointing to the sky. Whatever she was pointing at was blocked by a tree and Addy quickly ran around to get a better view.

She almost fell over when she got a look. Floating in the air, juxtapositional next to the blue sky, was a swirling green and black mass.

"No..." She breathed out, her eyes wide as she tried to understand what she was looking at. t was the same portal hovering in the sky - but it was huge. Ten times the size as the first one. The edge of it felt like it almost touched the city, with huge balls of fire flying towards the ground. She spun around, trying to get an idea of which direction the portal was, and as she realized she got a sinking feeling in her gut.

It was at Westfall, the same place as before.

Gryan.

Addy gathered up her skirt, not even stopping to make sure her neck was covered by her scarf before she ran out of the keep, racing towards city gates.

***

Genn and Jaina had paled as soon as he spoke, both of them seeming to come to the same conclusion Anduin had.

The first attack had been small, and they had funnelled their troops into westfall to help stave off another one. This is second attack...was massive. Ten times the size of the first. Even from here Anduin knew it would be a massacre.

"Should we order them to fall back?" Genn asked.

Anduin walked back into the keep, everyone followed him back down into the keep and to the war room. He shot off orders as he did so.

"Get me every damned Battle mage you can." He called out to passed soldiers, "I need one familiar with Darnassus. Recall those Gryphons immediately back to the city."

He stormed into the War room, in full Prince mode and walked over to the map.

"How many men left in the city?" He asked the room.

Sergeant Mandred Grummel walked froward, saluting, "City guard has around 1500, Your Highness. "

"Maybe another thousand of my men," General Clay added.

Anduin cursed, "How many in Westfall right now?"

Clay hesitated for a moment, "Ten Thousand, your Highness."

Anduin shook his head, looking over the map. His eyes flickered too and fro as he tried to come up with the best solution to save the most lives. He knew that every second he wasted was another man or women dead.

"We need to get them out of there." Anduin leaned down, taking a deep breathe. He'd rather wait for his father to come back to make a decision like this, but he had no choice, "Pull back. I want every man, woman and child out of Westfall as soon as possible."

There was a moment of pause in the room before Genn took a step forward, moving to stand beside the young Prince, "Anduin?"

Anduin looked up at him seriously, trying to make sure his unease didn't show. He wanted to look like the strong, steady leader like his father, and not like the uncertain kid he felt like.

"You want to abandon Westfall?" General Clay asked. He didn't sound accusatory, only sad, like he had come to the same conclusion himself.

"It's a trap." Anduin said out loud, "They expected us to move our troops into the region - and in doing so we've lowered the defences to our city. And now they've come back - if we don't pull back immediately our entire fighting force will be wiped out. My job right now is to save lives."

Anduin sucked in a breathe, thinking about the letter from Vol'Jin still sitting on the table in the briefing room. The Horde had moved troops into Azshara, the same way the Alliance had. They had set a trap, and they had both fallen for it.

"So, yes." Anduin said sternly, openly daring someone to argue with him, "I'm abandoning Westfall."

***

Addy pushed her way through the crowded Trade District to get through to the gate. People were crowding and arguing with guards and each other, people piling onto benches and trees and the centre fountain to try and get a better look at the portal. Flying up above them were dozens of flying animals with their riders all arguing with Stormwind Gryphon Masters about something.

Addy ignored them, her mind completely focus on her task. She needed to get to Westfall. She needed to find Gryan.

She finally managed to push her way to the front of the group, ducking under larger men and stepping around dwarves and gnomes. She ran forward heading for the entrance to the Valley of Heroes.

A large suit of armour stepped in her way and it took all of her power not to crash into it.

"Sorry, Miss." The solider held up his hand, stopping her in her tracks, "This area is off limits."

"Off limi-" Addy shook her head in exasperation, "No, I need to go."

She tried to move around the solider but he shifted with her, keeping his hand up, "I'm sorry Miss, but the City's closed. No one comes in, no one goes out."

Addy felt her eyes filling up with angry tears, "The attack isn't even happening here!" She shouted at him.

"I'm sorry Miss." The Solider genuinely looked sorry, but Addy couldn't see his face through her growing tears, "King's orders."

Addy pulled back, looking around. There were several other Guards, looking at her like she might be a problem. She looked back and forth, not entirely sure where to go, or what to do.

She turned to look at the portal, still swirling over the skies of Westfall. She could still very vividly remember the last attack. The dead bodies, the blood, the pain, and never ending swarm of demons...It had been a miracle that she had made it out of that alive.

The thought of Gryan being back out there, right now, made her feel sick to her stomach. She hated not knowing where he was right now, what he was doing, if he was even still alive.

She wandered over to a wooden deck outside of a cheese shop, collapsing into a seated position as she sat in a state of shock. She felt her heart clench as she sat here, thinking about Gryan. She could still see the fireballs raining down in the distance.

She knew the truth...the attack last time had been so quick that even if she got out of the city she never would have made it to Westfall in time. It was a feeble dream created by a yearning to do something...anything, despite knowing that she was helpless.

She was stuck here, on the stairs of a god damned cheese shop, waiting.

***  
It took fifteen minutes for the Battle Mages to arrive.

Anduin was terrified that the attack would be over before they could start evacuating. The last one had been a short fight, but it seemed that this one was longer. It frustrated him that he still didn't know what was going on in Westfall.

A solider lead in about a dozen different mages, men and women of varying races all wearing thick padded cloth armour and ready for battle.

Anduin immediately walked up to them, addressing the first two "I need you to open portals to Sentinel Hill and Moonbrook and evacuate as many people as you can. The rest of you need to teleport to the new camps as listed by General Clay and evacuate the soldiers there. Get the wounded out through portal, everyone else is the head to the nearest Alliance friendly area - Darkshire, Stranglethorn, Elwynn - whatever is closest. If they cannot get to a nearby Alliance territory..." He paused, swallowing, "If they can't get out of Westfall they're to retreat into the Deadmines." He could honestly say he'd never thought he'd have to make that order.

They all salute in unison and moved to the side of the room where they started to open portals. Anduin turned to the last Battle Mage and handed her a piece of parchment sealed with the Alliance Lion.

"You're familiar with Darnassus Magus-?"

"Stilica." The Female mage nodded, standing rod straight. "And yes, your Highness."

He handed her the letter, "I need you to go to Darnassus and hand this letter directly into the hands of my Father. Not to Lady Tyrande, not to anybody else. Wait for his response before returning."

Magus Stilica nodded, moving into a sharp salute before starting her portal. Mere moments later all of the Mages had vanished and the room was empty again. Despite ordering the evacuation he still felt like he'd done nothing at all.

Jaina wandered over to him, "I'll join them at the Hill. It's the area of highest concentration and they'll need all the help they can get. I can't promise how many people I'll get out until I run out of mana though."

Anduin smiled thankfully, "Every person you can get out is another life saved."

"You say that like everyone we don't portal out will die."

Anduin paused. All he could thin about was the lines of black pods lining the northern coast. If the rest of the border was covered in them, then the men could be trapped within Westfall, and if the Deadmines didn't hold it could be a massacre.

"Let's hope thats not the case." Anduin tried to regain the optimism he was known for.

***

Varian Wrynn always felt out of place in Darnassus. Back home he was a very large man, towering over everyone. He knew he was an imposing figure and the large, heavy armour he wore certainly didn’t help. But here, even the shortest elf was still taller than him. And his hulking mass felt clumsy next to the slender grace of those around him. He couldn’t help but feel like he would break something - like a bull in a china shop.

He was waiting patiently outside the Temple of the Moon. He'd never been personally invited inside and he'd never really felt the need to go in himself. Usually he met with Tyrande and Malfurion in the Temple Gardens or the Howling Oak when they met on official visits. He knew the Nigh Elves had tremendous respect for the building, and, as High Priestess, one could find Tyrande there on most days.

“Varian?”

Varian turned and immediately felt the familiar awe he always felt when meeting with Tyrande. She was extraordinarily beautiful. Tall and slim with pale lilac skin and turquoise hair that fell in waves to her waist, with white flowers and golden leaves entwined into her tresses. She held a certain poise and grace with her movements that no human could ever properly manner, like she was one with the air around her.

He gave her a friendly smile, “Tyrande.”

She tilted her head in greeting, returning his smile, “It is good to see you, Varian. But I must ask, why are you here?”

Varian let out a low sigh. The question was valid - he rarely made the trip to Darnassus. “It’s about the message I sent out, about the attack in Westfall.”

Tyrande nodded her head, but still looked confused, “Have you not found those responsible? I believe you thought it was a stray cult of warlocks.”

“I did.” Varian rubbed his hand over his face, “But new evidence suggests otherwise.”

She nodded and motioned with her hand for them to walk. As they started to make their way towards the Temple Gardens he reached into a pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

When Anduin had approached him he’d felt a sort of dread he’d never had before, the same sort of dread was mirrored in his sons’ face. He’d dismissed it then, not wanting to worry about it. But Varian had done more research, and he quickly realized these ships had only been seen once before.

He handed the paper to Tyrande, “Do you recognize this?”

She took it gingerly, scanning the paper before her eyebrows furrowed, “Yes…demon ships. They were numerous during the War.”

Varian nodded. While humans had many wars, the Night Elfs only spoke of one. He took a deep breath as he continued.

“There was one at the attack.”

That made her stop, her eyes widening and ears dropping as she looked at him, “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” He nodded, “There was only one, and we think it came through a portal…” He trailed off at the worried look on Tyrande’s face. She was always fairly collected and calm, to see her like this worried him. “How bad is this…?”

Tyrande hesitated, “I’ve heard rumours…that Westfall wasn’t the only attack.”

Varian swallowed nervously, looking around to make sure nobody was listening in. He turned back to Tyrande and nodded sharply.

She looked down sadly, “I have scouts out in the Ashenvale now, trying to get confirmation. But there were whispers of an attack in Aszhara, near the rear gates. Hints of this attack was why I was forced to close off portals to Teldrassil."

They walked in silence for a few moments, both of them going over new information. Varian realized she'd never answered his question, but looking over at her he could immediately see that it was bad. Her ears were downward, and her eyebrows tilted in worry.

“It’s the Legion.”Varian grunted, “Isn’t it.”

Tyrande look unnerved, “I fear so. I know of no warlock cult powerful enough to summon a ship, nor a portal as large as you described."

Varian clenched his jaw and fist, “Is it terrible to say I was hoping I’d be long dead before they decided to come here?”

Tyrande gave him a fond look, like a mother looking at her child, “I expect most mortal races feel this way.”

“High Priestess?”

Both Tyrande and Varian turned to see a night elf and a young human woman with standing behind them. Varian blinked at the sight of a human, he hadn’t brought anyone with him to Darnassus, but he could see the silver lion of Stormwind pinned to her Kirin Tor Tabard. A mage then.

The night elf women beside her bow her head in respect of the High King and High Priestess, “This one wishes to speak with you.”

The mage walked forward, giving a stiff bow to Varian and a respectful nod to Tyrande, “Your Majesty.” She handed him a sealed letter, “From your son.”

Varian nodded his thanks and opened it, reading it quickly.

Attack on Westfall. Bigger than before. Another ship.

Varian felt his heart clench in fear for his son. He took a few calming breathes and tried to remember that his son was safe in the Keep, and not in Westfall. But he knew that he'd need to return right away.

“There’s another attack.” He turned to Tyrande, “I must leave.”

“I am coming with you.” She announced and he stared at her in shock. She rarely left Darnassus, let alone to come to Stormwind. Her face was stern as she looked back at the mage, waiting to make a portal. “I would see this ship for myself.”

***

Anduin was getting reports right left and centre. He tried to absorb them as quickly as he could. He couldn't allow himself to get overwhelmed right now.

"Moonbrook's been evacuated Your Highness." An unnamed solider reported.

"Sentinel Hill's empty as well." General Clay ran into the room, "As have most of the Garrisons. But there's still a large pocket of men along the Northeast border, trying to hold back the Demons."

Anduin's heart clenched as he realized that they were trying to protect the border closest to the city. He felt a fierce surge of fondness for their men, willing to risk their lives to protect the citizens in the city.

But he wasn't going to let them die.

"Get them out of there!" He ordered, before looking around the room. He was still missing someone, "And somebody find me Captain Stoutmantle."

"He's with the men in the North." Clay responded quickly.

Anduin opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by the sound of a portal opening on the far side of the room. Everyone straightened and multiple soldiers pulled out their swords, putting themselves between the leaders and the blue glowing circle.

A second later three people stepped through. Anduin let out a huge breath of relief at the sight of his Father with the Mage who he'd sent after him. He was more than a little surprised to see Tyrande Whisperwind behind the two, towering over them as she gracefully walked over to the war table.

Varian walked over to Anduin, clapping a hand on his shoulder and giving him a comforting look. Anduin felt himself relax a bit. His father had a way of making him feel more confident whenever he walked into the room.

Anduin quickly went into business, filling in his father and the Lady Tyrande on what was happening. Varian quickly agreed that it had been a trap, and applauded his son, which made him flush lightly.

"Are the main cities empty?" The King asked his commanders. They all nodded.

"It's all empty, except for the northern Garrisons."

Varian nodded, "Alright. Bring out the Bombers, I want every one of those pods dealt with as quickly as possible."

Several men salutes and quickly ran from the room.

"Anduin." His father looked at him and he straightened, "Take Lady Tyrande to the top of the keep. She needs to get a better look at the ships."

Anduin nodded quickly and motioned for Tyrande to leave with him. He quickly walked through the halls, bringing her to the stairs to the top of the tower. They didn't speak, there was no time for small talk. Once they got to the top of the keep where he'd only been about fifteen minutes earlier, he took a spyglass and handed it to her.

She waved him off, the wind blowing her hair around her face as she narrowed her eyes towards the sky, "I can see it."

Anduin lowered his hand and turned to the sky, he brought the spyglass up so that his human eyes can see it as well.

"It is the same." Tyrande mused, sounding concerned.

Anduin felt his stomach clench, he turned to her feeling a little ill, "Have these ships ever been seen after the War of the Ancients? Anywhere else." He felt like he was pleading with her.

Tyrande turned to him, and slowly shook her head. Anduin paled.

"So it is the Legion." He spoke sadly. His mind flashed to a much simpler time, and an old friend who had predicted this day would come soon. Anduin had prayed he would be wrong.

Tyrande startled suddenly and Anduin looked back towards the ship, throwing his eyeglass up.

"No." Tyrande pointed down towards the shoreline, "There."

Anduin pointed the spyglass downward, quickly allowing it to focus as he searched for whatever it was Tyrande had noticed. Several of the pods had been dealt with, collapsed into flames and others which seemed to have melted into the earth. Just behind them Anduin could see the Northern most Garrison, where hundreds of men were still fighting the onslaught.

But standing over the tiny groups of men and demons were two figures, larger than life. Anduin couldn't make out any details from such a large distance, only that they were giants, more than ten feet tall each.

"Eredar..." Tyrande hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Anduin sucked in breath through his teeth. Eredar were extremely powerful demons, and no sane Warlock would ever try and summon one. And two Eredar, as tall as the one's he'd seen in the spyglass...

Tyrande shook her head, "Eredor Commanders...two of them." She turned to look at Anduin with wide eyes, "Your men need help...or else they're going to die."

Without another word Anduin turned, and rushed back into the Keep.

***  
Gryan's ears were ringing. several loud explosions had rendered him all but deaf as he rushed through the groups of men, trying to get a better idea of what was going on. 

They'd been trapped. The lines of pods blocking their exit by sea, and the demons approaching them by the south. They'd been cornered, and were being approached by every side. Commanding the demons in the distance were two large Eredar leaders, who's booming voice rattled his brain.

He was scared...terrified even. It had been a trap. This attack made the previous one look like child's play. Hundred, thousands of demons called down to wipe out the entire body of the Stormwind's army, leaving them defenceless. He could only pray that the other Garrisons and towns had been able to evacuate in time.

He walked over bodies, trying not to look at their faces. The faces of people he knew, friends, comrades.

He thought of Addy, and let out a breathe of relief. He'd been so worried about her, being alone in such a large city. But now he felt thankful that she was safe behind such large walls. He felt peace knowing that at the end of this battle, she would be safe.

A loud piercing shriek filled the air, and Gryan looked up brought the dirt, smoke and blood and saw the undersides of a dozen white gryphons flying overhead. He followed them with his eyes, watching as they dropped large metal balls overtop of the Eredar commanders. The explosions that followed didn't distinguish demon from solider...

Gryan closed his eyes, thinking of Addy, safe in the city, and ran into the battle with a smile on his face.

***

The streets of the trade district emptied long before the portal closed. 

Most people had gone home to their families, or to their inns for the night. The sun was only just dipping over the edge of the horizon when it closed, a burst of green that spread over the sky, whipping away the clouds and causing the sunset to ripple across the sky.

Addy watched it, seeing a long stripe of light right before it did so. It was most likely the ship. Addy mentally noted that it hadn't gone through the portal like they'd thought before, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she could do was breathe in relief that the battle was over.

She didn't move. She sat there, watching the gates of the city. The survivors from Westfall would come through here - and Gryan would be there first. As the commander he would come here immediately to brief the king on what had happened. Just like last time.

She made herself comfortable, determined to sit and wait there until he came home, safe and sound.

She would be waiting a very long time.


	13. Seven Stages

Addy was numb.

She sat on the porch of the cheese shop until the owner chased her away with a broom the next morning. Addy didn't even feel the sharp stinging of the wood on her arms as she walked away, her hands shaking slightly as she did so.

She wandered around the early morning city. The normal hustle and bustle signalling the start of a new day had been replaced by an eerie calm and a low morning fog coming in from the sea. The fog seeped into her brain and she walked around in a daze for hours.

Eventually exhaustion crept into her bones and she had enough sense to not pass out in the middle of the street. She made her way back to the Mage District and found the Slaughtered Lamb. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered that she was supposed to work today, but she didn't care. She walked into her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed.

She dreamt of green fire.

The next day the survivors of the second attack entered the city.

Addy rushed through the crowds, her heart racing. Her eyes scanned the survivors, looking for the familiar Westfall tabard and the shoulder length salt and pepper hair of the leader. As people walked past Addy felt her chest getting tighter and tighter. There weren't very many survivors, and even less were walking. Most were loaded into the back of carts with bloodies bandages and missing limbs.

She tried to find someone, anyone, that she recognized. But she didn't know any of them. None of them knew her.

She felt her breathing quicken as the last of the group went past. There must be more people. There had to be. Last time a large amount of them stayed in Goldshire, so the others must be there - Gryan had to be there.

Or maybe she just hadn't seen him. She might have missed him.

She gripped her hand into her dress, trying to stop them from shaking. No, she must've just missed him. He probably needed to go speak with the King, just like last time. Maybe he came in by Gryphon or had come in with an earlier group that she had missed.

Yes. That must be it.

But she felt the numbness coming back. She didn't know what to do now. Should she stay here, go back to her small apartment, go to the keep...

She was shaking, and her eyes were filling up with frustrated tears. Everything was too loud and people were too close and all she wanted to do was collapse to the ground in a ball and force the world out of her mind. Her chest was tight and she thought she might throw up.

"Girl."

Addy ignored the voice. She knew it was talking to her. But she didn't want to talk to anyone.

"Miss Fairchild."

Addy winced, slowly turning around to see whoever it was that was speaking to her, wanting to yell at them to go away. But when she got a good look at who was speaking.

She sniffed, suddenly aware of wetness on her cheeks, "Mr. Tim?"

The creepy thin old man who owned the Slaughtered Lamb was standing behind her, looking at her with his usual emotionless expression. "Are you alright?"

Addy nodded, but her bottom lip started to wobble uncontrollably and she was afraid it was the least convincing lie she'd ever told. Angry with herself she reached up and wiped of any tears that had leaked out of her eyes. She was being stupid. Gryan was fine.

"Come on." Mr Tim nodded his head, "There's nothing left to see here."

Addy nodded. She knew that was true. If Gryan was here, then he was busy. Sitting there waiting for him wouldn't contribute to anything.

She let Mr. Tim lead her back to the Slaughtered Lamb. He was being uncharacteristically kind. It wasn't that he was usually mean or rude, but neither had he seemed particularly interested in her. She didn't even realize he knew her name.

When they got back to the Slaughtered Lamb she thought she might head to her room, but instead Mr. Tim took her to the bar and sat her down on one of the rickety bar stools. He reached behind the counter and pulled out a glass bottle with amber liquid. Instead of pouring glasses he handed the bottle to her, pulling out a glass of his own.

"I can't afford this." Addy grumbled.

Mr. Tim snorted, "It's terrible. Drink up."

Addy wanted to argue, but her hands had a mind of their own and she ripped the top of taking a large swing of the liquid. Immediately she yanked it from her mouth and choked, "That's vile!"

"Told you."

Addy wrinkled her nose, but despite the taste took another drink, cringing as she swallowed it. It didn't take long for the warmth from the alcohol to warm her stomach and tingling to run to the tips of her fingertips. Her hand stopped shaking and her near hysteria as replaced by the numbness again.

Addy looked sideways at Mr. Tim who drank beside her silently, "Sorry I wasn't at work."

He snorted, looking around the empty bar, "Closed."

"Oh."

They continued in their silence, and Addy found it much more comfortable than she would have thought. Mr. Tim was a strange man, but he was nice enough, and he didn't try to make her talk about things she didn't want to talk about. So he was alright in her book.

They stayed there until the sun dropped below the horizon.

***

Mr Tim kept her busy over the next few days, not allowing her to stop for even a moment to think. She scrubbed the floors, tables and walls. Repainted the sign, stitches ripped table clothes and curtains. She scrubbed every dish in the place to an inch of its life, dusted the entire building (minus the secret basement, which was still off limits), and polished every reflective surface until it shined. The pub had probably never looked better.

But on the third day, everything turned on its head.

Someone walked into the pub, the first person since the second attack on Westfall. Both Addy and Mr Tim looked up, in surprise.

"What can I do for you today?" Mr Tim asked in a strange high pitched rasp that was probably the closest thing he had to a polite tone.

The man was dressed in a blue and gold Stormwind tabard, and held a large helmet with a horsehair plum under his arm. He looked incredibly awkward and Addy was struck by how young he was. He looked to be even younger than her, barely an adult.

"Miss Fairchild?" He looked past Mr. Tim to look at her.

Addy swallowed, her hands starting to shake again. She could feel her heart rate increasing rapidly and she swallowed bile that had risen in her throat, "Yes?"

The young solider pulled out a flat parchment letter from his belt, handing it out to her.

Addy felt her eyes fill with tears as she spotted the black wax seal on the letter. Her bottom lip started to wobble uncontrollably and she quickly reached out for the letter and turned away from him so he wouldn't see if she started to cry.

It could mean anything right? Maybe it's about her farm, or her grandfather. Maybe they finally found her parents remains and were messaging her about that.

"Mr. Gideon?"

Addy didn't know what he was talking about, but then Mr. Tim walked over to the man and took an identical letter from him silently. The man nodded, bowing his head in respect, before turning and leaving.

Addy stood there silently, trying to stop every emotion from erupting from her. But it was too much, and a loud sob escaped her. She put a hand up to her mouth to try and keep it back, but it just kept coming.

Somewhere else in the back of her mind Addy was aware that Mr. Tim had opened his own letter and was reading it silently. But Addy couldn't bring herself to open her letter. she knew what it said. She knew Gryan was dead. She had known for days. She knew that when she opened it it would be a letter from the king, offering condolences for the death of a friends or family member. It would be empty and meaningless and no doubt it would be an exact copy of the thousands of other letters sent out. No doubt the letter in Mr. Tims hand said the same thing.

She felt her legs go wobbly and she collapsed to the floor, holding her hands over her face. She had always been an ugly crier, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself that this point. The dam had broken.

She didn't know what happened to Mr. Tim. She didn't care. She felt a sharp scream rip itself from her throat and she punched her fist into the wooden floor, not caring as it ripped open her knuckles. Her heart felt like it would explode or rip apart and her mind felt broken as she tried to understand what was happening.

He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. Gryan had fought against the Defias and the bloody scourge. He had fought in the first war, the second war and the third war. He was the strongest man she knew - he couldn't be dead.

She wanted to demand to see a body. If there as no body, then he couldn't be dead - but she knew that it wasn't possible. They would have left the dead where they lie as they abandoned the province. If he hadn't managed to escape from the Legion, then he was dead.

Gryan was dead.

He was dead. The man who had taken care of her and had practically raised her during her Grandfathers steep decline, and after he had died. The man who bullied her until she accepted his help and was probably the only reason she hadn't died a long time ago because of her own stupid pride. The man who first discovered her talent with the light and had taken time out of his life to make sure she had basic training, and the man who assured her that she could someday be great. He always assumed that she would be a hero.

But Gryan had been a hero - he was her hero. And he was gone.

And he was never coming back.

***

The days after the attack had been hectic. After the confirmation that the attacks were indeed done by the Legion the leaders of the Alliance and quickly started communication to create a defence plan of all Alliance lands. His father finally disclosed his communication to Vol'jin and the attacks in Azshara to the rest of the leaders. As expected, both Jaina and Genn had had plenty of words to say about this. While Genn had seemed more upset about being kept out of the loop, Jaina had been furious. Anduin knew his Father despised fighting with her, but Anduin had a feeling that they would be fighting with her a lot more in the days to come. The Alliance and the Horde were going to have to work together to defeat the Legion.

Anduin had a feeling that that was going to be a bit tricker than he had hoped.

More than half of their fighting force had been wiped out in the second invasion, as well as many leading figures including Captain Stoutmantle. Anduin knew the death of the Paladin had hit his father hard - the two of them had been spending hours every day together for months, trying to increase the security of Westfall, all of which seemed to be for naught.

Anduin took his death hard. He took all the deaths hard, especially the massacre at the Northern Garrison.

He had been in charge. He had made the order to vacate the Province. Apparently those in the Northern Garrison, including Captain Stoutmantle, had been trapped as demons approached from the south they had retreated north to try and take ships and escape through the sea - not knowing about the demonic blockade. They had been trapped and the demons, lead by the two Eredar commanders, had made quick work of them.

Anduin tried to go over what he'd been thinking, why he hadn't warned them about the blockade. There weren't any ports on the Northern coast, and there shouldn't have been any ships there. But apparently there had been. Why hadn't he known that? He should know everything going on, especially in lands so close to the city and where an attack had taken place. Had his Father known? Either way he should have warned the men about the blockade. Maybe then they would have known not to go there.

There was a service at the Cathedral for the men and women who had died. There weren't any bodies, it wasn't yet deemed safe enough to go back to Westfall to retrieve the fallen. But judging by the thick black smoke rising over the horizon, Anduin wasn't sure if there would be anything left to retrieve.

Anduin tried to keep his breathing even as he walked with his father through the secret tunnel that connected the Cathedral and the Keep. There were guards all down the hall, and they bowed as they passed them. The hall was completely silent beyond the tapping of their feet on the stone as they walked.

Anduin swallowed. He just had to make an appearance and give his condolences. He didn't have to make a speech, his father would be the one to do so. Even the idea of talking in front of the friends of family of the people he'd failed made him feel sick to his stomach.

Anduin almost ran into his Father's back as the King stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway.

Anduin frowned at the back of the man in front of him, "Father?"

His father turned around and looked down at him with upturned eyebrows, his eyes swimming with worry, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Anduin lied, nodding his head. His father raised an eyebrow at him and Anduin swallowed, flushing in embarrassment at his Father's ability to make him feel like a chastised child, "No...I'm not."

His father looked up and waved his hand once. All the guards standing near them stepped to attention, and then walked away from them, stopping once they were out of earshot.

Once they were alone his Father looked down at him, "You can talk to me."

Anduin paused, trying to fight the awkwardness in his chest. Years of tension between them had taught him to hide any emotion from his father, after years of trying to impress him, trying to show that he could be as strong as him. But seeing the warmth in his eyes made him feel like he was a child again.

Anduin swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to force down any tears, "It was my fault." His father's face softened as he looked down and Anduin avoided eye contact, "I made the order. I told them to go for the borders, to get to alliance lands, I didn't think..."

"Hey." His father rested his large hands on her shoulders, and Anduin took in a shake breath, cursing himself for allowing his self anger to show. A moment later he felt himself being enveloped by a hug and he startled. HIs father didn't often hug him. He remembered the last time had been after he'd woken up from the incident with the Golden Bell. It had been the only time he had even seen his father shed a tear, holding him tightly like he would never see him again. At the time he had been so surprised that he hadn't been able to bring himself to tell his Father that he'd been crushing him slightly.

But this hug wasn't nearly as crushing and desperate. It was soft, and warm, like a thick blanket on a cold evening. Anduin had grown tall over the years and was now only a few inches shorter than his father, but he still felt enveloped. He buried his head into his fathers shoulder and hugged him back, still trying not to cry.

"You made the right call." HIs father muttered into his hair.

Anduin swallowed, looking over her shoulder, "But people died."

His father hesitated a moment, before pulling away, keeping his hands on his shoulder as he looked down at his son, "Yes...yes, people died."

Anduin swallowed, "But they died because of me. I made the order, I didn't warn them."

His father was silent for a moment before he took a heavy breathe, "Anduin...I've made a lot of orders in my life. And sometimes....sometimes people died because of them. And I imagine in the future I will make more orders that will result in more deaths..." Anduin saw a spark of guilt in his father's eyes that tore at his heart, "There isn't a night that goes by that I don't think about how many people would have lived if I'd let Thrall kill Hellscream that day in Orgrimmar."

Anduin was surprised. He'd never once considered her Father responsible for the deaths caused by Garrosh Hellscream. In fact, looking back on the memory, he had been proud of his father, and it had been the first step towards the mending of their relationship. Garrosh would have met justice at the hands of the Celestials if not for forces that most definitely didn't include his Father.

"You made the right call then." Anduin argued, "You were trying to do the right thing."

"And you were trying to save lives when you made that order." Varian pointed out. Anduin looked down, flushing, "Genn told me how strongly you spoke about it. He was proud of you. I'm proud of you."

Anduin felt his entire face burning red.

His father seemed to notice and chuckled, "You have to remember what your intent was when you made the order. Sometimes mistakes are made, sometimes people die. But when you made that order you saved lives - thousands of lives - of soldiers who did make it out."

Anduin swallowed and nodded, trying not to make eye contact. He still didn't fully believe him. He would never be okay with people getting hurt under his orders. And he never wanted to be okay with it.

The chiming of bells in the background made them both look up. His father looked back at him, "You ready?"

Anduin took in a shaky breathe, nodding his head, and followed his Father towards the Cathedral.

***

Addy spent days in bed, not eating and only getting up to use the toilet and for the occasional drink of water. Unlike the Golden Keg, where Betsey took care of her while she moped, Mr Tim did no such thing, instead leaving her to sit in her own filth and slowly slip into her own mind.

The only time he spoke was when he poked his head in to mention a service bing held at the cathedral. She hadn't responded to him and he left soon after.

Did she want to go to the service? Not really. She'd rather stay in her room and cry silently. But the more she sat there the more she could hear Gryan's voice in her brain.

"You're just going to sit here?"

"Yes." She said out loud.

"It's pathetic."

"I know." She mumbled, burying her face into her pillow, "I don't care."

"Get up."

"No."

"Addy. Get up."

"I don't want to."

"I swear to the Light. You're going to get up and go to my funereal if I have to drag you there by your damned ear girl!"

Addy sniffled. Yeah that sounded like something he would say. And he would have done it to. He would have been so mad if she didn't go.

She crawled out of bed for the first time in days, wincing at her own stink. She wandered into her water closet and cleaned herself up as best she could, washing her face and pulling the fine stands of her hair out of her face. Looking in he mirror she swallowed tears.

She had dark circles under her eyes, which were red and swollen. Her nose was red too, looking like a giant red bulb on the tip of her face. She sniffled lightly and pressed cold water, trying to make herself look less like a clown. Her hair was a mess, tangled and greasy, half falling out of the elastic which held it out of her face. She wrinkled her nose and put it into a quick braid. She fingered the wrinkled skin on her neck, and sighed hopelessly before grabbing her white scarf and wrapping it around her neck.

She walked outside only to stop at the sight of white flakes falling from the sky. It was snowing.

She held out a hand, catching one of the white snowflakes in her hand, her lip wobbling. Gryan had been so excited for the first snowfall - and now he wouldn't ever see snow again.

She took in a deep breath, trying not to lose her courage as she started the walk to the Cathedral.

She sat at the back of the service, not drawing attention. She sang when everyone sang and listened to the speakers. When the King spoke she found herself uncertain. A part of her wanted to blame him for sending Gryan to Westfall, but a bigger part of her knew that she was being unfair. There wasn't anybody else to blame other than the Legion.

She saw the Prince standing at the front, looking straight ahead with a face so blank that Addy knew it had to be mask. No doubt her face looked similarly.

She remembered the anger she had felt towards him, the embarrassment at the accusation of blackmail, and the humiliation of the charity he had offered her. But now all she could feel when she saw him was apathy. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing about it mattered anymore. So what if he bought her farm? She didn't want it anymore. She didn't think she could ever go back to Westfall, and she wasn't sure she ever wanted to.

When the service ended Addy sat in the back of the Cathedral while everyone walked out, people were crying and other praying, and Addy was silent. Just staring ahead blankly. At the front of the room Father Thompson nodded at her sadly and Addy attempted to give him something more than a blank face, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't do anything.

Once everyone was gone she stumbled to her feet, letting them take her home.

The ground outside was now covered in a thin layer of white, and the snowflakes whipped around her as she walked. She could see her footprints in the snow behind her, which would no doubt be buried by the time that the sun came up the next day.

She found a city bench, not wanting to go home just yet. She sat down, pulling her scarf around herself to keep the cold wind off her skin.

What was she supposed to do now? Her whole long term plan was based around eventually going back home, rebuilding her vinery. But now, what was the point?

Should she stay here? Work with Mr. Tim at the Slaughtered Lamb? It was good money, and she had a home, a bed and food. It wasn't a terrible job.

But it wasn't her home. All she had was her home, her wine, Gryan. But she didn't have any of that anymore. The last person she knew from her time in Westfall was dead. She was the only one left.

She looked up at the sky. She couldn't see the stars, because of the cloud coverage. She smiled lightly to herself as a memory came to mind.

_"Mr. Gryan!"_

_Little five year old Addy was running after then Marshall Gryan Stoutmantle, who was walking through Sentinel Hill. HIs hair had less grey and his eyes less wrinkled and he watched the approached toddler with a look of barely hid annoyance._

_"Adeile." He responded. "Where's your grandfather?"_

_Addy shrugged. He was probably selling the grown up drink that she wasn't allowed to have. He'd told her to sit on a log near the fire and not leave, but she'd quickly grown bored._

_Gryan looked aggravated and grunted, rubbing his hand over his face. He held out a single hand for her to take, "Well, come on then."_

_Addy had taken his hand happily, skipping along as her red pigtails jumped along with her. He brought her into the hill and Addy smiled._

_"Mr. Gryan?"_

_He grunted and Addy took that as a cue to continue._

_"What happens when you die?"_

_"Oh Light." The Paladin groaned, looking upwards, "Ask your Grandfather."_

_"He won't tell me." Addy pouted, "I asked, cause my mommy and daddy haven't come yet and Grandfather told me it's cause they're dead."_

_Gryan stopped then, looking down at her. His face was a bit softer than it had been a bit before, "He said that?"_

_"Well...no." Addy admitted, "He said that everyone back home was dead, but that must mean Mommy and Daddy too, right?"_

_Gryan's face was sad, and he leant down, kneeling on the stone floor in front of her. He grabbed her hand and looked at her wide bright blue eyes sadly._

_"What do you know about the light?" He asked her._

_Addy stood up straight, she knew this one, "It's the source of all good in the world. Daddy told me once."_

_"Yes, I suppose thats one way to put it," He chuckled. "But it's a part of everything and everyone. Some people can use the light-"_

_"Like you!" Addy cheered._

_"Yes, like me." he ruffled her head, "And the truth is that we don't know what happens when you die. But I like to think that you becomes the light. So that the ones we love never truly leave us. So your mommy and daddy will always been right...here." He poked her in her stomach and she giggled madly._

Of course that hadn't been the case. Her parents would have no peace in death. But that didn't mean that it was an outright lie. Maybe people did join the light when they died. Maybe Gryan had.

"Please come back." She whispered, her voice a low croak from disuse. She wiped the wetness from her cheeks, not sure if it was from snow or her tears, "I want you to come back...please come back, I have nobody...no one"

She was openly crying now. She didn't care if anyone saw her. She just wanted him there, to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

"It's my fault" She angrily wiped away her running nose, "I could have been there. I should have been there! It's stupid and if you were here you would smack me around my head and call me an idiot girl. But I should have been there with you.

"And it's my fault I wasn't." She swallowed her tears, shaking her head, "Because you were right. They would never have allowed me into Westfall, because I have no training. And that's my own god damned fault."

She blinked rapidly, sniffing.

"Because Im a proud idiot." She shook her head, "I could have helped you..."

She reached into her dress, pulling out a crumbled parchment that she'd be fiddling with for the last week. The waxy remains of the blue wax seal of the Alliance. It wasn't the letter from the King announcing Gryan's death - she had burned that days ago. No it was the letter that informed her of the purchase of her farm.

"You told me I should take the money," She whispered as she opened the letter, her eyes scanning over the garbled letters. "It was one of the last things you told me. We argued about it. I wish we hadn't argued. I always argue, with everyone. It's a real problem." She chuckled sardonically, "I probably get it from my grandfather. You always argued with him."

She rubbed away the tears and other liquids that were gathering on her face. Her hands were growing numb from the cold and she knew she needed to go back inside before she got sick.

"Damn it." She grumbled, closing the letter and putting it back into her dress.

She huffed, feeling the fight leave her body as she realized what she was going to do. And for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was going somewhere.

She looked up at the sky, into a small patch of stars that was visible between the layers of cloud. Maybe Gryan was up there, watching her, "He's going to be intolerable after this you know."

The stars twinkled and somehow she knew that Gryan was laughing at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow you guys, the comments and reviews on this story have been overwhelming. Sorry this update took so long we had a few months of sheer emergency panic at work that I had to deal with but things are starting to cool off a bit so hopefully I can update more often. It doesn't help that I haven't been playing much, I pretty much just do weekly LFR and emissary quests at this point. Maybe I'll actually work to get Addy up to level 110, she's only 101 right now, I pretty much haven't played her since Legion launched cause I'm an awful terrible person.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for the lovely reviews. And remember ya'll are free to follow me on my WOW tumblr medvh, where i pretty much just spew out nonsense, but it's all WOW nonsense so...
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	14. Father Samuel

On the third day Anduin was kicked out of the Library. Not by the caretakers, or the librarians, but by his own father.

"For the love of the Light, Anduin." Varian had urged, "Go outside. Play in the snow, talk to some people. Just take a break."

Anduin admitted that he'd been rather high strung since the attack. His research had taken a turn from looking for proof of a Legion attack to studying the War of the Ancients. He spent hours in the library reading every account he could find, badgering emissary Jademoon endlessly until even her seemingly endless patients met an end. Anduin would have loved to ask Lady Tyrande some questions, as a Night Elf who was not only alive during the war of the Ancients, but had actually fought against the Legion and won. 

"I don't have time for a break." He had argued, "We need to know everything we can before the next attack."

His father nodded in agreement, "Yes, but you don't have to be the one to do so. I have people working on gathering information. You don't need to work yourself to death."

"I have a duty." Anduin pointed out.

His father ruffled his hair, smiling fondly, "Not yet you don't. One day my son, you'll be king and you'll have years and years of stress and worry ahead of you. You shouldn't take these days of rest for granted."

Anduin grumbled to himself as he walked aimlessly through the halls of the keep, unsure of what to do with himself. Hs father had ordered him to stay away from the Library for the rest of the day, and no doubt the guards would snitch on him if he went anyways. He thought about sneaking out of the city for a bit, heading towards the small cave that overlooked the ocean, but the first snows of winter had fallen and the path would be deadly slippery. And no doubt his Father wouldn't be pleased if he snuck out - there had been a fierce lockdown ordered on the city and the coming and going of people was being strictly monitored.

But going outside did seem like a good idea. He walked back to his bedroom, grabbing a warm fur lined cloak and thick hide gloves before heading towards the open courtyard.

It was empty compared to the crowds that summer brought. Right now it was mostly filled with the nobles and others who lived within the Keep. The sand filled pits where soldiers spent days practicing were covered in snow. But the main trails had been cleared and Anduin found himself walking down them, enjoying the sharp tingling the cold brought to his skin.

A figure caught his attention. A woman was sitting on a bench away from the other ladies of the court. She wore a large fur cloak, similar to his own, and a fine Navy blue dress underneath. Her skin was pale, as was the fashion amongst ladies of the court. Her hair, however, was notoriously out of style, cut short to just above her shoulders and hanging down and loose in natural waves. Of course nobody would dare comment on this, due both to her status, as well as her reputation.

But Anduin just smiled, walking over to her, "Tess!"

Princess Tess greymane turning to look at him, a single perfectly arch eyebrow raised as she studied him. A moment later a genuine smile graced her face as she stood up to greet him.

"Anduin." She gave him a polite hug, carefully not to overstep boundaries in public, "What brings you here?"

"Er-" He rubbed the back of his neck, his face flushed, "I was kicked out of the library."

Tess didn't look surprised and made no move to hide her humour, smirking at him and his red cheeks, "Time out?"

Anduin glared, "Apparently I'm stressed."

"Oh well, we can't have that." Tess teased, "You'll get wrinkles. And we wouldn't want to tarnish that pretty face." She reached forward to pinch his cheek and he slapped her hand away.

"Must you?" He grumbled.

"I'm sorry." She said unapologetically, "But you're very easy."

"I didn't come over here to get harassed."

She tilted her head in confusion, "Then why did you come here?"

Anduin shifted awkwardly, looking around to make sure that nobody could overhear them. He had a feeling this conversation was going to be embarrassing but it had been nagging at the back of his mind since before the attack.

"Well...you're a woman." He began, wincing as he realized how idiotic he sounded.

Tess nodded at him like he was slow, "Yes?"

Anduin ignored her tone, instead taking a deep breath, deciding to get it out as quickly as possible, "There's this...girl, and she's a bit upset with me and I talked to my father, but he suggested I talk to a woman about it but I don't really have many options and I was hoping you could help me."

Tess paused a moment, taking it all in, before a dangerous smirk crossed her face, "Oh, this is about Miss Fairchild."

Anduin startled, "You know her?"

"I know everybody." She gave him an unimpressed look, "It's my job."

"Right." Anduin frowned, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable, "How much do you know?"

"More than you do." She smirked.

Anduin chuckled but there wasn't much humour in it, "Well then. Er- My father suggested that I keep my distance for now until she's less angry."

Tess snorted in a very unladylike manor, "Yes, well. No disrespect to His Majesty, but that's hardly the best idea."

"Why?" Anduin furrowed his eyebrows, "He explained it like...foreign diplomacy."

"Oh?" She raised a mocking eyebrow, "And I'm sure every woman would love to be compared to a foreign country. It makes our little hearts all a flutter." She pressed a hand to her chest and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Okay okay." Anduin held up his hand, "I get it. I get it. But what I am supposed to do?"

Tess looked at him curiously for a moment, as if trying to figure out his motives. Anduin shifted away from her, always a little freaked out when she did that. He always got the feeling she was looking straight through him.

"You've been thinking of this as a leader." She started, tilting her head slightly, "But maybe you should think of it like a healer."

"What?"

"Miss Fairchild's pride is wounded," Tess pointed out, "She thinks you pity her."

"I don't!" Anduin defended for what felt like the fiftieth time.

Tess looked pleased, like he'd reacted just the way she wanted, "Then why did you do it?"

Anduin didn't respond. She didn't need to explain what she meant, but Anduin felt himself at a loss for words as he went over it in his mind. Why had he given her the gold? He didn't pity her, and he didn't have a 'crush', no matter what his father thought. He'd just wanted to do something nice.

But there were hundreds of people who needed help - who would have been thrilled with a gift from the crown as such. Why was he so determined for her to get the gold? Despite her not wanting it?

"I don't know." He grumbled, not making eye contact.

Tess nodded, "Well there you go. Miss Fairchild believes you pity her - you need to prove that you don't. But you can hardly do that if you don't even know why you did it."

Anduin perked up a bit. She was right. Miss Fairchild hadn't been upset about him buying her farm so much as she was by the concept of 'charity'. Maybe if he proved that it wasn't that, she would take the gold. And forgive him.

"Thanks." Anduin climbed to his feet clumsily, smiling wildly, "Thank you."

Tess tilted her head with a smirk, "I do my best."

"You're the best." Anduin smiled at her, before turning to head back to the keep. He had a lot of thinking to do. 

***

Collecting the money was simple. It had taken five minutes at the Stormwind treasury where a stern looking woman had handed her a form to sign and take to the keep, and then handed her a large sack of gold. Addy had stared at it in shock, still unable to comprehend that it belonged to her.

But while that was easy, finding a trainer was turning out to be tricker than she had thought.

She'd assumed that finding a trainer would be the easy part, but that wasn't the case. Most of the trainers in the city trained large groups of people at once, and from what she'd seen they only progressed slightly further than what Gryan had taught her. After that the individuals either found mentors or, the more common choice, went out to become adventurers in Alliance lands, training themselves and doing deeds for gold and trinkets.

But she didn't want that. She wanted a proper mentor. If she was going to start training she would be trained by the best. But the longer she searched the more she realized that she might need to go north to Ironforge, or maybe even further north to Light's Hope. The thought made her stomach churn, she didn't want to leave Stormwind. She'd been here only months, but it was the closest thing to a home for her now.

She continued her work at the bar. Business had never been very good, but now it seemed even more barren. Addy spent her days cleaning dishes over and over, sorting bottles, and struggling to stay awake. Mr. Tim had been spending time in the secret basement more often and more people were joining him, with people coming in the pub in large groups. They would give her a sharp look before disappearing behind the door. More than once she had the urge to ask Mr. Tim about the room, her curiosity getting the better of her. But she knew it wasn't worth losing her job over.

A few days after she accepted the money she got another letter. She saw the royal seal and frowned. She opened it but didn't recognize any names or numbers, so she tossed it into her dresser, making a mental note to go see a scribe at some point.

Addy managed to make a scribble with a quill onto the form that could theoretically be considered a signature. She rolled it up and decided to walk up to the Keep to hand it in.

It felt weird going to the keep for anything other than going to the courtyard while Gryan met with the king. She desperately tried to force the image of her and Gryan walking home through the empty halls. The halls certainly weren't empty today, filled with chatting noblemen, petitioners and soldiers rushing through the halls. She kept her head down and prayed that she could get in and out without seeing anyone who might recognize her.

But she had no such luck.

As she walked down the hall she was dismayed to see Prince Anduin walking towards her. She saw his surprise at seeing her, and hoped that he wouldn't stop to chat, but again luck wasn't on her side.

"Miss Fairchild." The Prince paused, and Addy stopped her walk as well. "How are you?"

Addy wasn't sure how she felt looking at him. The old rage she felt had dimmed away and now she felt nothing but a slight annoyance. But mostly she was just tired.

She gave him a clipped, "Fine." hoping he would take the hint and leave her be.

He didn't. Instead he looked down sadly, "My Condolences for Captain Stoutmantle. I...I hope you got my letter."

Addy paused for a moment, her lips turned down in a frown. So the letter had been from him. She nodded, but didn't give away that she hadn't actually read it. 

But he didn't pry, just nodding and looking terribly awkward, avoiding her gaze "Well, I do apologize, for the part I played."

Addy snapped her head up, looking at him incredulously, "How is it your fault?"

The Prince winced, "When you're the one making the orders, every death is your fault."

Addy was surprised by this. Sure she had initially felt a bit bitter, but she'd quickly realized she was being immature and stupid. She'd never thought for a second that the Prince might feel guilty. And the more she thought about it, the more she felt angry.

"It's hardly your fault." She snapped at him.

Anduin looked up at her with wide surprised eyes. Addy cursed herself for finding it slightly adorable.

"Gryan was killed by the Legion." Addy forced out, bitting her cheek to keep her bottom lip from wobbling, "Blaming anyone else is a waste of my time and energy."

Anduin froze, looking down at her with wide eyes. They weren't wide in surprise, or in shock, but rather a startling realization. Like her words had shifted his entire world view for a moment, until he shook his head slightly and his eyes came back into focus.

He laughed lightly, shaking his head as he looked down with a large smile.

"You're laughing at me." She glowered.

"No." He whipped his head up, still smiling as he shook his head, "No I just realized...you're right. Maybe I should take your advice."

Addy was surprised, and started to shift awkwardly. She wasn't sure what to say in response to that. So she just stayed silent, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

The Prince seemed to notice her anxiety and straightened slightly, giving her a wide smile, "I won't keep you much longer."

Addy let out a breath, trying not to show how relieved she was to be leaving. She gave a small bow of the head and a mumbled, "Your Highness." Before quickly walking down the hall, her head ducked.

"Anduin." The Prince called after her.

Addy frowned, turned to look at him, "Pardon me?"

"You can call me Anduin." He looked a bit nervous, "Your Highness is a bit...formal."

Addy wasn't sure where he was going with this. Of course it was formal, that was the point wasn't it?

"Alright?" Addy nodded, a bit unsure with what she was agreeing to. But a moment latter his face brightened and she thought that it might have been worth it. Prince Anduin should always look so happy. There must be something terribly wrong with the world for him to ever not be smiling. 

She gave him another small bow before turning to leave, feeling his eyes pressing into the back of her skull as she walked away.

***

After she spoke with the accountants, Addy found herself at a loss of what to do. Part of her wanted to go to the courtyard to train, but she knew it was now covered in snow. She found enough courage to slowly approach one of the guards and ask if there was a training arena somewhere covered.

The guard pointed her in the direction of Old Town, saying there were several old training rings around and the overhanging roofs usually covered them from the most of the snowfall. He also suggested heading over to S1:7 headquarters, where they had indoor facilities. But Addy wasn't exactly looking forward to running into Shaw or the strange lady any time soon, so she walked past the entrance to the headquarters and instead went in search of a more private arena.

She found one in a shady back corner of the district, but it was empty and it took only a few minutes to clear what little snow was on it. The swords weren't as high of quality, and the sand pit was filled with overgrown weeds and large rocks, but it would do.

She started her usual rotation, moving back and forth between the rotting dummies, turning and trying to avoid tripping. More than once she stumbled, but ignored it, not as bothered when there weren't people watching her failures. She readied her sword and prepared to go again.

She turned, expecting to see the blank space of the arena in front of her.

Instead her sword clashed with a large mace, and it took all of her strength not to drop the sword out of her hand. It reverberated up her shoulder and she gasped loudly as her feet slid back in the sand.

The man standing in front of her had dark brown skin, with long purple and red hair in long dreads which were pulled back into an elastic at the back of his head. He held an impressive amount of facial hair that was the same colour. His eyes were a piercing blue that narrowed as she made eye contact with him. Her own blue eyes must have been wide in surprise.

He smirked, pulling his mace back and swiping at her again. Addy yelped and brought her sword up, barely blocking the swing. She struggled to regain her footing as the man came at her again. She swiped his mace back again, then quickly tried to move around him before he cornered her against the weapons rack.

“What are you doing!” Addy yelled at him, terrified as the man started towards her again.

“Dodge” The man said gruffly before he brought his mace straight down on top of her. Addy took his advice and quickly jumped sideways into the dirt. She started to roll away as fast as she could, climbing to her feet and holding her sword out in front of her.

He was already there, slamming his mace into the blade of her sword, then sliding it down to the hilt. Addy gasped as the weight shifted to the handle as he locked his mace with her hilt. A second later he twisted his arms and then her sword was flying out of her hands. He caught it in his free hand, and curled his mace around her neck, holding her still as he pushed her sword towards her neck.

The point of the sword tapped her lightly against her skin, not even hard enough to draw blood.

“And you’re dead.” The man spoke simply, immediately lowering his weapons and tossing her her sword. Addy stumbled a bit trying to catch it, her heart pumping and her adrenaline pounding through her.

“Who the hell are you?” She demanded through breaths, holding a hand to her chest.

The man studied her with his bright eyes, unnerving her. For a moment she gripped her sword, certain that he was going to attack her again.

Instead he just started speaking, “You’re form is good, but your footwork is sloppy. You might have lasted longer if you weren’t tripping over yourself every five seconds.”

Addy gapped at him, “What?”

“This sword.” He motioned to the one in her hand, “Is no good. It’s too big for you, and not balanced properly. You’ll need a properly sized one.”

“Who are you?” Addy repeated with less heat than before, her eyes still narrowed and her hand still gripping the sword.

His calculating look vanished, and her gave her a soft, kind smile, “I’m Father Samuel.”

“You’re a priest?”

“A paladin.” He corrected.

Addy stared at him with a furrowed eyebrow. She thought about the Paladin’s she knew about. Tirion Fordring, Uther the Lightbringer, Gryan…Father Samuel didn’t look like any of them. In fact he had more in common with the Adventures who liked to make their way through Sentinel Hill.

"What do you want." She snapped at him, "To pummel me in a dark alley?"

"Pummel? Perhaps." The man spoke seriously, but there was a spark in his eyes that Addy didn't recognize. Humour maybe. "Or maybe I just wanted to meet you."

"Is this how you introduce yourself to everyone." Addy demanded, still not releasing her grip on the sword in her hand.

He made a non-committal noise which confused her and she frowned. She was starting to doubt the man's claim of being a paladin - maybe he really was just some low brow adventurer, or maybe just a homeless man who knew a thing or two about fighting. Either way, she wasn't entirely sure he wasn't going to try and mug her.

"Why would you want to meet me." Addy snapped at him, "I'm nobody."

"Well, yes." Father Samuel snorted, and she bristled "Yes, you are. But, you're a nobody who seems to want to become a somebody,"

Addy glared, "I'm not one for word games, just tell me what you want or leave me be. I'm hardly in a mood to chat."

The man raised an eyebrow, but didn't look impressed by her bravo. Instead he raised his large two handed mace again. Addy subconsciously took a step back, cursing her self with a wince. He seemed to notice and smirked.

"You're looking for a trainer, am I correct?"

Addy paused for a moment, her face blank as her mind attempted to understand what the man was saying, but she just couldn't. It was ludicrous! There was no way her luck was that good, as to just stumble upon a trainer in the middle of the slums.

Addy narrowed her eyes at him, suspiciously, "And?"

"Don't be dense, girl." The man snarled, "You are looking for a trainer, and I am a trainer. But I won't take any idiots under my wing."

"I'm not an idiot!" Addy flushed red, fuming.

"Then don't act like one." He ordered, standing up straight and looking her up and down, "If you want to train with me you'll need to understand a few things-"

"Who said I want to train with you." Addy snapped. She knew she was being petty and childish, but she felt a burning rage and embarrassment.

"Because I'm the best damned Paladin trainer south of the Span, girl." He started to slowly circle her, which had her struggling to keep eye contact with him, "You'd be a fool to refuse - so tell me, girl, are you a fool?"

"No!" Addy hissed, straightening her back, "I'm not."

The man seemed pleased, "Good. Now, as I said, you need to understand what you're getting yourself into. I need to know you're committed."

Addy nodded, her rage leaving and being replaced by excitement. She was finally getting somewhere, "I am!"

"Are you?" Samuel tilted his head, raising a mocking eyebrow, still circling her, "Because this isn't going to be easy. You want to fight the Legion? Then that's how I'll train you."

"I want to kill demons." Addy responded, trying to keep her voice strong and certain.

He nodded, "Then listen up! Rule one: You do what I say, when I say it. I say run, you run, I say fight, you fight, I say pat your head and jump on one foot....?" He trailed off looking at her expectantly.

Addy hesitated, not sure if he was serious. He nodded his head at her and she huffed, lifting her foot and awkwardly jumping while patting her head.

"Good." He smirked, stopping in his circling. He crossed his arms, muscles straining against his thick forearms, "Now, do you own any Trousers? Leggings?"

Addy looked down with a pinched look, "What's wrong with my dress?"

He gave her a disbelieving look, "Just...get some trousers and a shirt. And get good leather, and make sure it's comfortable - nothing's worse than getting a rash from bad craftsmanship."

Addy pondered how much that would cost, but quickly removed those thoughts from her mind - this is what she was waiting to spend her money on, "Okay."

"Next we have to get you into shape."

Addy huffed, looking down at her flat stomach.

Samuel looked skyward, taking a step forward and pushing her shoulder lightly. Addy yelped as she stumbled backwards, falling to the ground with a loud 'umf'.

"You're weak." He snapped. "Paladin's wear plate armour, and that shit isn't light. How can you be expected to carry a sword, fight a demon, wear armour, when the lightest gust of wind knocks you over? Now do you know what a sit-up is?"

"Yes." Addy said through gritted teeth.

"Good." Samuel didn't look perturbed by her anger, "Do them. This is your centre, if it's weak - you're weak. You could be the strongest man alive but if your centre is weak you'll still be easy pickings. Understood. 

Addy nodded, "Yes."

"When you're not training with me, you're still training. Understood?"

Addy paused for a moment, and Father Samuel noticed, her eyes narrowed

"Well don't keep me waiting girl, spit it out."

Addy shifted, her jaw clenched, "Where did you hear I was looking for a trainer?"

He shrugged, "Around. Believe it or not there's not a whole lot of us who stay this far south. Most head up North to the Plaguelands or Northrend. And more so...Captain Stoutmantle approached me, he spoke about you."

Addy felt a lump rising in her throat and quickly swallowed it. She's pushed all thoughts about Gryan out of her mind - she couldn't afford to think about him right now, or else her entire resolve would fade away in depression and tears.

She quickly pushed down her thoughts, determined to continue with her train of thought, "Did...the Prince have anything to do with it?"

Father Samuel startled, seeming genuinely confused, "The prince? No...why?" He narrowed his eyes.

"No reason." Addy quickly assured him, but her face had split apart into a wide smile. This was real! A real trainer, a friend of Gryan's, who actually wanted to train her. She shook her head in disbelief, "Why now? Why did you wait, why not approach me sooner."

Samuel shrugged, "Because you have something now you didn't have before."

"Motivation?" Addy guessed with a pinched look of confusion.

Samuel chuckled, looking at her with amusement.

"No...gold."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you guys so much for the reviews last chapter, your tears fuel me. You guys are super sweet and I love each and every one of you. I feel like I should say more but it's 5am and I need to go to bed my lovelies.
> 
> Feel free to leave a review with any comments, concerns and questions and bless you all
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	15. Attribute of Strength

As ordered, Addy traveled into the Trade District the next day to find some new clothes. She soon found a Leather working shop and bought some new leggings and top. They were soft, well beaten leather with clips and ties meant to attack mail or plate pieces. It felt weird wearing trousers, she'd always preferred dresses and skirts, but she knew she would have to get used to it. She also bought some nice leather gloves to help stop the chaffing and blisters on her hands, as well as a good pair of boots. She bought several thin black cotton shirts that covered her entire neck to wear under her leather chest piece. She smiled at herself in a polished mirror, pleased with her new clothes, and satisfied that it covered her scars.

Father Samuel asked her to meet with him at the crack of dawn on Monday. She spoke with Mr. Tim, asking if she could work Sunday and take the next day off, but the man just shrugged and told her to take both days. The man had seemed forlorn since the attack on Westfall, with a pinch of sadness in his eyes and Addy knew that he had lost someone as well - a lover perhaps. 

Walking to the keep, Addy kept fiddling with the edge of her shirt around her neck, making sure that it covered everything. She stoped in the front courtyard, walking around as she waited for Father Samuel, not entirely sure what he was planning. The courtyard where she practiced was covered in snow, so they wouldn't be going there.

The air was chilly, and she regretted not wearing a cloak. She rubbed her arms, hoping that Father Samuel would show up soon.

She saw him walking through the front gate soon after. His hair was stilled pulled back and he wore tight dark leather the same colour as his skin. He didn't seem very bothered by the cold and his arms were bare as he walked over to her.

Without saying a word he reached forward and started to pull at her clothes. 

"Hey!" Addy snapped, "Watch it!"

Father Samuel ignored her, inspecting her choice. Evidently he approved and nodded quickly. Then without a word he changed directions and started to walk to the keep. Addy hesitated a moment before running off after him.

"Where are we going?" Addy asked him as he walked up the stairs into the keep. He didn't respond and Addy bit back her annoyance, and deigned herself to follow him.

He didn't take her into the actual building, instead taking a sharp left and heading towards one of the many guard towers that were build along the city walls. Addy frowned to herself as he started to climb the tower.

When they reached the top, Father Samuel nodded to the two guards at the top, who nodded back. Addy blinked as she looked out over the city. She remembered how big it had looked when she first got here, but now it was all very familiar to her, and didn't seem nearly as massive.

"City walls." Father Samuel spoke for the first time, "They circle the entire city - eight miles."

Addy nodded, her eyebrows furrowed, "What are we doing here?

"The walls form a circle." Father Samuel continued, ignoring her, "If you start in one direction, eventually you'll end up back here. The Speed in which you complete the circle will determine how long your breaks will be - so be fast."

Addy felt her eyes widen as she realized what he meant,"What?! I...I can't do that!"

Father Samuel rolled his eyes, "Walk, run, crawl - I don't care, but you can make it."

Addy swallowed, looking out at the city which suddenly looked much bigger than it had a few seconds before.

Father Samuel tossed her a water skin which she stumbled with a bit before catching it, "What are you waiting for?"

Addy's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to argue again, but a sharp look from him quickly made her close it. She remembered the conversation she'd had with him. When he said run...

She huffed, gripping the water skin in her hand and picked a direction.

She started her run, and very quickly started to realize how out of shape she was. She was only running for a minute before she started to feel light of breath and her chest started to pinch. She slowed down, but only a few minutes later she had to stop. She leaned over and pressed her hands to her knees, breathing heavily. She looked behind her and saw with embarrassment that she could still see Father Samuel, who was leaning against the stone wall. He waved at her and Addy scowled, straightened, looked forward and started to walk.

It took three hours. More than once Addy was forced to stop completely and sit down, drinking from her water skin as she struggled to catch her breathe. She couldn't believe how out of shape she was. The more she walked the more she realized how short the distance really was. Stormwind was heavily populated, but dense. It was a far shorter walk than her trips her Sentinel Hill from her farm - which she used to take twice a month.

Eventually she made her way back to the same guard tower she'd left from. She was gripping the wall, breathing heavily as she slowly marched uphill back to where Father Samuel was standing. The man was smirking, looking far too pleased as he watched her.

"Three hours." He noted, shrugging, "Not the worst I've seen."

Addy groaned, bent over, "I hate you."

Samuel chuckled, pushing himself off the wall, "I want that halved."

"Oh great." Addy straighten, holding her hip as she stretched. "Perfect."

"It'll get easier."

Addy didn't really believe him, but she didn't say anything, grumbling under her breath. 

"Come on." Father Samuel nodded his head, "Let's go."

Addy groaned loudly but didn't argue. She followed him down the tower, trying to ignore the burning in her legs. She refused to ask for a moment to breathe. 

He brought her through the keep and Addy knew she must've looked a sight. Her hair was sticking to her sweaty forehead, and her cheeks were flushed an angry red. She saw a few people give her curious looks as they passed, and she tried to ignore them - struggling to keep up with Father Samuel.

The man brought her to the courtyard, much to her confusion. 

"What're we doing here?" Addy asked. The courtyard was now empty, the paths, arenas, and benches all covered by a thick layer of snow.

Father Samuel gave her a side glance, his lip twitching in a smile before he raised his hands and closed his eyes. A few seconds later a bright glow came from his hands. Addy wasn't sure what it was doing, but then a second later a spot above the courtyard burst into light. She gasped, watching with wide eyes as it spread out in all directions, before moving downwards until it had created a barely visible dome of light over the top of the courtyard. Addy felt transfixed, walking forward with wide eyes towards the centre of the courtyard. She gasped as she felt the snow under her feet slowly vanish, until there was nothing but wet grass under her feet. She looked up and saw snow falling until it melt the resistance of the shield made of pure light, where it melted before it hit the ground.

"H-how..." Addy gapped, looking back at Father Samuel with wide eyes.

The man looked rather pleased by her reaction, "Defence is just as important as offence - in fact for some it's the most important. Shields like these are useful in battle, but they have other uses as well."

Addy blinked, wondering how useful the shield would be against a sword. It looked like it was made of light, "When do I learn that?"

"Not for a while." Samuel snorted at her, making Addy glare, "Shields like these are meant to be used for a long time. We need to make sure you're strong enough to maintain them. Passing out from exhaustion isn't exactly ideal in the midst of battle."

Addy huffed, not willing to admit he was right. He sent her an amused look before walking towards the damp sand pit. He started feeling swords until he found a few that seemed right to him. 

He tossed her a sword and Addy yelped, jumping away. The sword landed in the wet grass with a dull thud and Addy glared at Father Samuel.

"You could have cut me!" She snapped.

He nodded, "Yes. It was a test."

Addy furrowed her eyebrows, crouching down to pick up the sword. It was much lighter than the swords she usually practiced with, "Of what?"

"You're perception." He replied, flipping his own sword a few times, "Specifically of your abilities. A confident swordsmen would have tried to catch it - a good swordsman might have."

Addy narrowed her eyes, "And if I tried to catch it?"

"Well, you probably wouldn't try it again anytime soon." Father Samuel chuckled, "But what that shows me is that you're not as confident in your abilities as you think you are."

Addy gripped her sword a few times, "Just because I know how to use a sword doesn't mean I want to try and catch a flying blade."

Father Samuel held his blade out in front of him, moving his feet into a familiar sparing stance, "Well then Miss Fairchild. Let's see how good you are."

Addy swallowed nervously at the menacing glint in his eyes before moving back and lifting her sword.

***

Addy ran every day. Even on days she wasn't training she ran, as discovered by Father Samuel showing up at her small flat and pouring cold water over at in the early hours of the morning. Thankfully the crown kept the paths along the wall clear of snow and ice, so despite the cold frosty mornings Addy was able to run unhindered.

She trained after work with Samuel every day, and twice a week they trained all day. Most days were a viscous cycle of sit ups pull ups, push ups and other training exercises. After a week Addy didn't see much in the way of changes, but after a couple weeks she started to see a definite change in her body. Her thighs and calfs thickened with muscle and her shoulders and back became more defined. Her stomach became less soft and slowly but surely her daily runs around the city became shorter and shorter.

"Alright." Father Samuel held up his hand, "Thats enough."

Addy lowered her sword, breathing too heavily to let out a breath of relief. Her arms ached painfully, as they usually did after a long day of sword fighting.

Father Samuel walked over to the weapons rack and placed his sword back on it, "You're improving."

"Am I?" Addy frowned, rolling her shoulders.

Father Samuel nodded, "We need to work on your footwork. But we can start that next week."

Addy nodded, and placed her sword back on the rack. She wiped sweat away from her forehead. "Same place?"

Father Samuel nodded and then walked out of the courtyard. Addy shook her head, he wasn't one for pleasantries. She walked to the outside of the courtyard and started to make her way to the warm keep inside. She passed several rooms as she did so, storage rooms, hallways and a side door to the great Stormwind Library.

Addy paused for a moment, her eyes wandering into the library. It was dark, except for a single lantern lighting up a table filled with books and scrolls. Sitting at the desk was a familiar blond boy slumped over the table, looking like he'd fallen asleep reading.

Addy looked around, seeing two guards standing in front of the library, but they didn't look like they would be waking him any time soon. 

She huffed in annoyance, walking towards the entrance. She paused by the doors, looking nervously at the two guards, "Er...am I allowed in?"

The guards were silent, but one on the left gave a curt nod. She returned with a nervous smile and wandered into the library.

She'd never been in here before - why would she? It was actually much larger than she'd though, shelfs upon shelfs that went deep into the keep. Every now and then there were tables and chairs where one could sit and read. The Prince had taken up residence at a table near a window, with a view over the courtyard. She flushed with embarrassment as she realized that he could no doubt see her training. 

She ignored her embarrassment, and reached forward, poking him on his shoulder.

He startled awake, and Addy noted with amusement that the lines of the pages he'd been sleeping on were imprinted on his face. His hair was in slight disarray and his eyes were glazed over and heavy with sleep.

"'M up." He mumbled, blinking rapidly.

Addy snorted, "Where's your keeper?"

The Prince, Anduin, blinked a few times, looking surprised to see her there. "What?"

"Your keeper?" Addy asked again, "They've left you sleeping in a library."

Anduin rubbed his eyes, taking a few breathes to wake himself up, "I'm nearly twenty, I hardly need a keeper."

"Sure." Addy shrugged, not entirely believing him. 

Anduin looked around the library, his eyes going wide as he realized it was dark and empty, "What time is it?"

Addy shrugged, "Sun's down."

"Light." He rubbed a hand over his face. He then blinked several times and looked over to her, "Wait, what're you doing here?"

Addy flushed, "The guards said I could-"

"No I mean." The Prince smiled, his eyes crinkling sleepily, "What're you doing here so late?"

"Oh." Addy shifted, looking down at the floor as her entire face flushed red, "Er- Training."

"Ah." He nodded, "I saw you earlier."

Addy didn't say anything to that and an awkward silence fell over the pair. Addy swallowed nervously, shifting rom foot to foot until finally she cleared her throat.

"Well, goodnight then." She mumbled, turning to leave.

"Wait"

Addy paused, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she turned around to look at the Prince. He was standing now, his clothes wrinkled and hair still disheveled. His checks were flushed and he seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with her.

"Yes?" Addy asked awkwardly.

"I er-" He reached up and scratched the back of his head, "I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize." Addy repeated deadpanned.

His cheeked pinked, "Yes. I've done a lot of thinking the last few weeks, and I've come to understand that I shouldn't have bought your farm without speaking to you first."

Addy frowned. She wasn't sure how to handle this - she'd been perfectly okay with just being mad at him for the rest of her life. And now here he was apologizing. She realized very quickly that by apologizing he was making her look like the immature one - no that wouldn't do at all.

So she nodded, shrugging, "Alright."

He frowned and Addy felt a bit vindicated. He hadn't been expecting that.

"I apologize." Anduin sighed, "I...I hadn't realized you'd accepted the money before, I had a whole speech and now it's kind of null."

Addy just crossed her arms in front of her chest, nodding at him with a 'go ahead' glance.

"Er- Right, yes." Anduin cleared his throat, he motioned for her to sit across from him and after a few moments thought Addy did so. She winced as the sound of the chair moving across stone echoed loudly in the silent library and the guards by the door tilted their heads inward, before turning back to their positions. "So I've been thinking."

"So you've said." Addy quipped.

"Yes." Anduin cleared his throat, "And I know what you think - that I pity you, and your situation and that I feel bad for you. But thats not why I did what I did."

"But you do pity me." Addy stated,

Anduin scoffed, "Miss Fairchild, when I first saw you you were damned near emaciated and covered in demon blood. I think that anybody with half a conscience would feel pity for someone in that situation. But that isn't why I bought your farm."

Addy gritted her teeth. She wasn't willing to admit he had a point so she just narrowed her eyes, "Are priests allowed to swear?"

He rolled his eyes, but his lip twitched a bit. "We're going off topic. What I'm trying to say is that....I'm a priest. But I'm not really going to be a priest."

He held out his arms like he'd actually said something that meant anything. Addy just look at him, her face pinched in confusion. He sighed and lowered his arms.

"So I've wanted to be a priest for a while." Anduin explained, "Ever since I visited the Exodar and met Velen. It just sort of felt....right. Like I said before, I'd known I had talent with the light for some time but I always assumed I was going to be a paladin, or just a warrior. But I don't like hurting people, I like to help people. Using the Light offensively isn't exactly my forte."

He let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. Addy felt a bit awkward, feeling like she was becoming privy to some very private information.

"My father...disagreed with it. I think that might be a bit of an understatement, and we argued about it for a long time. And when I was younger I never really understood why he was so against it: I thought that he just wanted me to be like him, or that he thought a healer couldn't be a good king." Addy gave him a dubious look and he held up his hands, "I was a kid, alright? All I knew was that my Father didn't approve. But now I know better. I know that he was just worried about me, worried that I wouldn't be able to protect myself. But as I got older I realized it was more than that..."

He took a deep breathe, his eyebrows tilted down as a sad look overcame him. No...not sad, Addy realized. It was acceptance.

"I'm never going to be a healer." Anduin gave her a sad smile, "I might be a priest, but I'm a Prince first, and one day I'll be a King. A King of a people very much at war. They don't need a Priest-King, they need a Warrior-King. So no matter what I want to do, the decision was made for me before I was even born.

"When I looked at you, I think I saw myself. I saw someone who knew what they wanted to be, but were unable to accomplish their goals because of the circumstance of their lives, their birth." 

He shrugged a bit, before his face flushed as he realized all the information he'd just revealed to her. Addy's face was still pinched, trying to go over all of it, trying to digest all the new information he'd tossed at her and weighing it against all her preconceived notions and old anger. 

And after everything, it all seemed so...silly. Unimportant.

She felt a weight lift off her shoulder, along with an anger that had been digging in her gut for a long time. She looked at him, at his sincerity, and she nodded.

"Alright." 

He beamed at her.

Addy shook her head, "I still don't know why you bothered to tell me this, or apologize. Sure I was angry, but why did that matter? Why does any of it matter?" After all he was the Prince, it's not like she could retaliate at all. She was still half certain she was going to be carted off for kicking his knee out months ago in the courtyard.

"Maybe I want to be your friend."

Addy scoffed, avoiding his searching eyes as she shook her head in disbelief, "Despite what you think you don't know me, and I don't know you either."

Anduin didn't say anything for a moment, but Addy could hear the gears turning in his brain. She prayed that he would let it go, accept her forgiveness, and they could both move on with their lives.

"Ask me a personal question."

Addy startled slightly, her eyes finding his in her surprise, "What?"

"As me a personal question." He repeated earnestly, "Anything you want."

"Why."

His eyes were bright, "Because you're right. If were going to be friends we need to get to know each other. So you can ask me a personal question and I'll answer it, and then I ask you one in return."

"That sounds...potentially dangerous." Addy frowned, but fought to keep the corner of her lips from twitching upwards.

"Oh definitely." He beamed.

Addy thought about it. There wasn't really anything she could think of that she'd be embarrassed to talk about. As long as he didn't ask her about Gryan...

"Fine..." Addy spoke hesitantly, "But you go first."

Anduin blinked in surprise, "Me? Are you sure."

"Yeah." Addy nodded, moving to sit across from him. If personal questions were being asked she wanted him to go first. That way she'd make sure her question was just as personal as his - she didn't want to be the one getting the short end of the stick.

"Er-alright. Your accent, is it Tirasian?"

Now it was Addy's turn to be surprised, "What?"

"I noticed it a while ago." Anduin shrugged, "It's subtle, and I had a hard time placing it, but I was thinking it was Tirasian."

Addy paused, feeling like there was a question within his question. Asking about an accent was hardly personal.

But asking about where she was born might be.

"I'm not from Kul Tiras." She shook her head, "Never even been."

"No I..." He shifted, looking a bit pained, "I was wondering if you were from Theramore."

Addy nodded, finally understanding why he thought it was such a personal subject, but again she shook her head, "I've never even been to Kalimdor. My er- I was raised by my Grandfather? He was Tirasian, I must've picked it up from him."

"Where-?"

"Shush It's my turn." She waved him off, feeling a bit more confident. She tilted her head, deciding to go with a safe question, "When did you decide you wanted to be a Priest?"

Anduin's eyes lite up and he smiled warmly, "When I was in Ironforge, during the Shattering. I worked with the local priests to help with the injured. It was there someone first told me I had a calling to be a priest. Later I travelled to the Exodar and worked with The Prophet Velen and he taught me everything I know. I didn't really do any formal training for years because...well, my father." He shrugged, "But after Pandaria and Garrosh, we came to an understanding. I travelled between Stormwind and Exodar a lot during those times..."

Addy was stoic as she watched him. He was very animated and very open about his life. She wondered if he had any secrets at all.

"My turn." He gave her a toothy grin and Addy swallowed.

"Okay..."

"Were you born in Westfall?" He asked her, "I believe Captain Stoutmantle mentioned you moved there with your grandfather when you were young..."

Addy shifted. It wasn't really a topic she was uncomfortable with, but it tended to make other people uneasy. And her own lack of reaction also gave people pause.

"No." She shook her head, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "No I was born In Lordaeron."

"Oh." She heard the light uptick in his voice.

"Stratholme." She replied, not meeting his gaze, "We left really early on during the plague, before people even knew what it was. The only thing people knew was that people were getting sick...dying. A lot of families sent the young and elderly away, for fear of their health. Me and Grandfather left Stratholme about a month before Prince Arthas came...my parents were supposed to join us in six months..." She trailed off, letting him fill the rest in.

"I'm sorry." Anduin said softly.

Addy shrugged, "I don't remember my parents. I don't really miss them, but yes...it's sad that they died. But the man who killed the is dead too, so for me it's...in the past."

Addy finally looked up, expecting to see pity, or sympathy or something. But instead he just looked solemn, and there was a look of understanding. Suddenly Addy remembered the Prince had lost a parent too, one he didn't remember.

"Do you ever wonder...?" Anduin trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"If they were raised?" She hiked an eyebrow, "Became Scourge, or Forsaken?" He nodded, "Honestly...I try not to think about it."

Anduin swallowed, looking more than a little disturbed. But he cleared he throat anyway, "Er- your turn."

Addy shifted awkwardly. She'd gone and made it awkward. She could have just said she was born in Lordaeron, but no - she had to bring Stratholme into it and her parents and her whole past. She felt like she'd somehow been tricked into it, with his bright eyes and stupid welcoming face. She raked her brain trying to think of something equally as personal to ask him, but she couldn't think of anything that was't already public knowledge...

Her mind suddenly raced back to the courtyard and the ladies who spent their summer days there. She'd spent most of her time trying to ignore their discussions, but she could still remember the one topic that stuck with her...

She fought to keep a smirk off her face, "Why aren't you married?"

The prince was silent for a moment, but then a wheezing cough escaped him before he quickly cleared his throat, "Er- What?"

Addy felt a bit smug as she saw his cheeks turn red, "I heard some people talking about how you weren't married or betrothed or anything and I thought that was weird."

"Oh." He suddenly seemed a bit more confident than he'd been a moment before. She narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what he'd been thinking about. "Yeah I suppose it's been a topic of discussion."

"Apparently Lady Josephine's father is planning on offering her hand in marriage." Addy continued, "As is Lady Mary's. Lady Heather is trying to convince her father as well."

Anduin raised an eyebrow at her and Addy flushed red.

"They chat a lot." She mumbled under her breath.

Anduin chuckled, "I know. Father got the letters. As well as the few hundred that came before them."

"Few hundred." Addy gapped.

Anduin shrugged like it was no big deal, "Some are repeats."

"Well then....why haven't you married any of them." She asked.

"I don't know most of them." Anduin wrinkled his nose, "Others aren't serious proposals, just sent out of duty, others are already married. The one's I do know aren't exactly people I'd consider good matches."

"Does that- I mean I didn't think...er..." Addy shifted awkwardly, unsure if she was about to insult him.

Anduin chuckled, "Go ahead."

"I didn't think it mattered." She muttered, feeling embarrassed.

But Anduin didn't seen to mind, he just laughed, leaning back in his chair, "Yes I suppose. That's part of why I'm not betrothed I suppose. Things are just...different now, then how they were when my father was born."

Addy tilted her head in thought, "I didn't think things had changed that much."

"Everything's change." Anduin exclaimed, "But the most important change is how we align ourselves, politically. Before the wars there were multiple human kingdoms, and loyalty and money and land was split between them, which lead to arranged marriages for alliances My father's marriage to my mother is what brought most of Westfall's farmland and surplus into the kingdom of Stormwind. But now, all humans are under one banner, there's no need to use marriage to ensure loyalty anymore."

Addy nodded, "What about the Princess?"

"Tess?" Anduin seemed genuinely surprised by the question. "What about her?"

"I don't know." Addy shrugged, "You're a Prince, she's a princess. It's seems pretty obvious to me."

Anduin nodded in agreement, but there was a small smirk to it that made her stomach do strange things, "I suppose. But er- I don't think I'm her type."

"She doesn't like....priests?" Addy guessed.

"She doesn't like men."

"Oh.....Oh!" Addy flushed red, but wasn't entirely sure why she was embarrassed. She'd been with a girl before, once. She'd been a bit younger and drunker and curious. It hadn't really led anywhere and the other woman left early the next morning. But she supposed imagining a noble woman doing the same thing made her feel flushed - someone who was always so proper and done up coming....well, undone in such a way. There was something...uncouth about it.

She looked over at Anduin and remembered that he was also a member of nobility. Suddenly an image flashed across her mind of him in a similar state of...dishevelment. Sweaty and shirtless, his hair loose and he's pushing it back out of his face showing off that same stupid smile he always has on his face,

Addy immediately felt her entire face burn bright red and she quickly shook her head, suddenly very interested in the surrounding architecture of the library and really anything other than the curious look on the Prince's face.

"Er-, it's getting late." Addy was flushed, standing up suddenly and awkwardly, almost tripping over her chair in her efforts to get up, "I have get up early tomorrow for training so..."

For a moment he looks disappointed, but she'd trying so hard to avoid eye contact that she wasn't sure if she's imagined it. He was about to open his mouth when a new voice interrupted them.

"Your Highness?"

Addy jumped and spun around, trying not to look guilty. Standing at the entrance to the library was a very well dressed man, in pressed blue linen with a belt that looked to be lined with gold. He stood slightly at attention like a solider, but he look more like nobility than a warrior.

"Mr. Banner." Anduin sounded a bit off and Addy chanced a peak at him to see his cheeks where now burning red.

The man, Banner, bowed, "I believe it's time to retire for the evening?"

Addy felt her lips twitch and she looked t the floor to hide the amusement in her eyes.

"Your keeper?" She asked Anduin, hoping her tone was even.

"Oh shut up." He grumbled, face red.

He stood up and Addy stepped aside, head lowered in a bow out of habit. She gave a clumsy curtsey which seemed a bit more mocking than serious and a cheeky, "Your Highness."

He raise an eyebrow and nodded back at her, "Miss Fairchild."

As he left the room Addy couldn't help but wonder when she'd become comfortable enough to tease the crowned prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I kinda got stuck a little bit in my writing. I always write two or three chapters ahead of where I'm editing and I've gotten a bit of writers block. I know what I need to write, and what I want to write but I just can't seem to get it on paper so to speak. So I decided to just edit and post this chapter and see if it unblocks me.
> 
> I've also been playing a lot. I actually got Addy to 110 finally, but she'd still a sad low 800 ilvl loser, so I still haven't played her a lot. I'm starting to get super excited for the next expansion, there's so much information I don't know what to think about it. But the whole Scar in Silithis thing pretty much confirms Old Gods at least. And the Kul Tiran sets in PTR hint at Kul Tiras and Jaina, which is exciting. I don't know i'm just super excited about everything.
> 
> If you wanna see a bunch of stupid theories and mostly stupid WOW memes and things i think are funny you should check me out on my Wow blog 'medvh' on tumblr.
> 
> Thank you guys for the reviews and support. I've been flooded with alert messages and it's so exciting to see people reading this story. You are all lovely!
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	16. Happy Places

Anduin had been in and out of meetings for the last few weeks and he was starting to feel worn down. In-between working with Moira and Mekkatorque about a evacuation plan for their respective cities, planning out a defence plan for Kalimdor with Jaina, Tyrande and Velen, and helping to plan a ball for Winter's Veil (of all things), he was starting to feel the strain on his shoulders.

"How do you do this every day." Anduin grunted as he collapsed onto his father's bed, melting into the piles of furs.

His father was removing his bracers, looking just as ragged as he felt, "It's not always this bad, but when they're imminent threats we need to respond quickly."

"Has there ever been a time when we weren't under imminent threat?" Anduin asked sardonically, "I don't remember."

His father chuckled and removed his shirt, exposing his skin. Anduin pursed his lips at the scars that riddled his chest and back, trying not to think about how he got them.  
"But really," Anduin sat up, "Isn't the Winter's Veil Ball a bit...pointless, right now?"

His father grunted, "It's fun. I think we all need a bit of fun right now."

Anduin knew he was right. Tensions had been at an all time high since the last attack. Now that the Legion had a beachhead in Westfall they had been expecting an attack on the city any day now. In fact he was at a loss as to why they hadn't already been attacked. Attacking immediately would have been the smart thing to do, while they were still reeling from their loses. Instead the legion seemed to be giving them time to regroup, time to make new plans and rebuild their forces. Anduin couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"It's not going to be as large as usual either way." His father sighed, pulling on a more casual top which hung loosely. "Half the Nobles have left the city already, and I bet another half still will leave before the start of Winter's Veil."

Anduin had noticed of course. The emptying castle had been hard to miss. Most had moved to their own personal properties, away from large population centres and possible targets, and they'd taken their families with them.

"Besides, we always have the ball, even during times of war." Varian pointed out.

"I know this just feels...a bit closer to home."

Varian chuckled, but Anduin could hear the nerves underneath, "Perhaps you should invite your lady love."

Anduin choked, "What?"

Varian smirked, look a bit too pleased with himself, "Miss Fairchild? I've heard you've been spending time with her nearly every night."

"You know." Anduin pointed at him accusingly, "I'm starting to think I might be a bit old for you to have Mathias follow me everywhere."

Varian snorted, "Mathias has better things to do. I just ask your guards."

"That's an abuse of power."

His father snorted loudly, "I think you should invite her. Perhaps it's time I met the girl my son's spending all his time with."

"I thought you would have learned enough when you sent your spies after her." Anduin bit, his voice not at all hiding the anger that still burned within him at the thought. When Addy had asked him if she was still being followed he'd been confused, and when she'd told him about Mathias and Tess confronting her about possible blackmail he'd been furious.

"I know, I know." Varian grumbled, "I'm a paranoid old man-"

"You really think I'd let someone blackmail me?" Anduin scoffed, "I'm not a fool."

"No." Varian denied, "I didn't think she was blackmailing you, I just wanted to get...a judge of her character. I didn't think they'd be so....direct about it. But I think they were trying to gauge her reaction."

Anduin didn't buy it for a second, and his face reflected that, looking at his father dubiously.

"Alright, maybe I was a bit worried." Varian relented, "But you've never been like this before."

"I donate most of my money to charities." Anduin argued, "The orphanage, the church, the homeless."

"But not to a specific person." Varian pointed out.

Anduin shrugged, "She's my friend. Shouldn't you trust my judgement?"

"Anduin, your 'friends' in the past have included a Black Dragon and a Horde leader." Varian pointed out and Anduin flinched inwardly at the mention of Wrathion.

Anduin sighed. In the past he might have felt that his father didn't trust him, but he knew that the king had deep seated trust issues that had very little to do with him, "Alright, but I think I can say with some certainty that she is neither a dragon, nor a Horde leader."

"Light, I hope so." Varian grumbled and a laughed forced itself out of Anduin.

 

***

The sun had already set by the time Addy found her way to the Blue Recluse. She had discovered it one day as she walked home after a long day of training. Apparently it was the non-shady tavern in the Mage District and it was often crowded with mages-in-training and heroes who'd come to the city via portal and didn't want to travel all the way to the Trade District.

Addy had pulled out her blue dress, noting that it seemed a bit tighter on her than it had been before. Her arms, which had once been thin where now thick with muscle, as well as her shoulders and back. Her stomach was no longer concave and the first signs of abdominals were starting to make themselves known. The dress no longer hung off her, making her look thin and starving, but instead clung to her body, showing every curve and leaving little to the imagination.

Which served her purpose tonight.

She wouldn't exactly call herself promiscuous, but she wasn't exactly a virgin either. It wasn't strange for her to end up with someone once or twice a month back home, or whenever she made her way to Westfall. Usually a new man every time besides the few who stayed for longer periods of time. Her mind momentarily flickered to James, who she'd been sleeping with for three months before he died.

Ever since then her libido had been dead as well. She supposed watching her home destroyed and loved ones murdered had left her too forlorn to even consider it. And she'd been just too busy. Back home there wasn't really much else to do other than find generous company.

And she'd been lonely.

Only seeing other people once or twice a month had made her eager for company. Here she saw people every day, say Gryan every day, and hadn't been as starved for affection.

But once again she lived alone, and she wanted some company.

And it had nothing whatsoever to do with Anduin. At all. That would be ridiculous.

Or at least thats what she told herself.

She walked through the door to the inn, trying not to look as nervous as she felt. Finding company had never been hard for her, she was hardly ugly, but now her scars were on the forefront of her mind and she could feel the rough skin under her scarf.

She walked up to the bar immediately and ordered something strong. She looked around the room, and studied the people. Most were mages, in their robes and cloaks and smiling faces. A smaller amount were adventurers and heroes, all drinking and cheering and singing. There were men and women and everything in between, and every race on this side of the war. Most were human but there were a few Night Elves who towered over them and even a Draenei who barely fit in the chair they were sitting. A number of Pandarans were playing some sort of game in the corner and Dwarves and Gnomes were drunkenly singing together on the upper floors. She saw a few Gilneas sigils around the room and assumed they were Worgans in their human form, drinking and laughing along their non-cursed counterparts.

She downed her drink in a single go and ordered another, placing some copper on the counter. It was her own money, from the past few months of working at the Slaughtered lamb. It was all that was left over after buying food and basic necessities. It felt nice to spend her own hard earned money on something she didn't necessarily need, but wanted.

"Hello, Love."

Addy jumped, the drinks already making her a bit funny. She was glad Father Samuel wasn't there, no doubt he would laugh at her, and then lecture her about being aware of her environment.

Sitting next to her was a human girl, a bit older than her, with beautiful golden hair done up in a complicated braid. Her eyes were blue like water with rosy cheeks and blood red lips. Her white dress was loose and fell down low on her chests making Addy flush red a bit, and quickly look away.

"Er- Hello?" Addy swallowed.

The woman smirked, leaning forward rather strategically, "I must say, I have a very special skill. I've spent years doing this, and I always know when someone comes to a tavern looking for a good time."

Addy felt a bit confused for a moment, and then she blinked in realization, "You're a prostitute?"

The woman smirked, "I like you. Most would call me a whore."

"That's a rude thing to call someone you want to sleep with." Addy pointed out.

"It is, isn't it?" The woman smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. No doubt an act.

Addy gave her a polite look, "I'm flattered, but I'm looking for something a bit more..."

"Penetrative?"

Addy choked on her drink, sputtering unattractively. Her face turned burning red as people looked at her and she quickly tried to hide her head. 

"Maybe." Addy muttered under her breathe.

The prostitute leaned forward, giving her a secretive smile, "Well don't worry sweetheart, any man in this room would be lucky to have you."

Addy snorted, and with the alcohol making her brave she turned to the woman and opened her scarf, showing off her scars.

The woman look unimpressed, "I've seen worse sweetheart."

Addy blinked, "Really."

"Oh honey, you have no idea." She winked, "But if you're nervous, find yourself a warrior. They've always got scars in interesting places and aren't as likely to judge."

Addy was surprised by the strange advice, but looked around the room. She noticed she was right - a lot of the warriors were a bit rougher around the edges than mages. One man had burn scars on his arms, and another had a thick scar across his face, and more than one were missing limbs.

The woman pointed across the room, "Him."

Addy looked over and spotted who she was speaking of. He was a very large man, his arms as thick around as her waist, a warrior, or maybe a paladin. His armour was dirty and grimy with red dirt and his sword seemed like it had seen better days. He also had a facial scar, with three large claw marks starting somewhere on his chest, up his neck, and across his face. It looked like it hadn't healed properly, but he was still handsome, with bright green eyes and shaggy dark blond hair. She studied him for a moment and felt her face flush with excitement.

He was perfect.

The woman stood up, winking at her before moving towards a group of men who welcomed her with loud cheers.

Addy looked her drink and downed the rest, before heading over towards the man with what she hoped was confidence.

***

Tess Greymane sat on a bench in the Mage district, wearing a simple brown cotton dress and plain cloak over her head. There was dirt on her hands and fingernails, and she sat slumped over without a hint of the proper posture her mother had spent years building into her.

She saw the woman walking down the street, slightly bow legged and a smirk on her face. Tess could almost hear the jingles of coin as she walked. She had curled blonde hair and blood red lips which had been smudged by other lips no doubt.

Tess called out to her, "How much?"

The prostitute smirked at her, swaying her hips as she sauntered over to her, "Oh love. You couldn't afford me."

Tess pulled out a silver, flipping it to her, "What will that get me?"

The woman picked it up, and placed it into her cleavage. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Tess's, skillfully opening her mouth and twisting their tongues together, pulling at her bottom lip with her teeth. Tess smirked into her mouth and pressed back, pulling a small moan out of the woman's mouth.

The Prostitute pulled back, her eyes heavy with lust. Her voice was thick as she spoke, "The Uncrowned send their regards."

And without another word the woman turned and walked away.

Tess watched her go, a smirk still pulling at her mouth as her eyes trailed down. She certain was a beauty, and certainly knew how to use it.

As soon as she was out of sight Tess stood up, and reached into her mouth to pull out the small metal tube the woman had passed to her as they kissed. She studied it as she walked, dark grey metal with a black raven imprinted onto it.

She popped it open and pulled out a small scroll which had been pressed into the pod. She opened it and read as she walked.

'the demons are inside the walls.'

At the bottom there was a simple stamp, the raven again. There was no signature and no name. She assumed that it was from the, 'uncrowned', whatever that meant.

She frowned as she quickly crumpled the paper. She came across a brazier lighting the path and dropped the letter into it, she pretended to warm her hands over it as she waited for every hint of the letter to turn to ash.

If there were demons hidden within the city, within the keep, then why would they tell her? Why not Shaw, or the king. Unless they didn't trust them. Either of them.

Or more likely they didn't trust anyone, but for whatever reason they trusted her. Trusted her with this information. Trusted her to do something about it.

Without another word she headed back to the keep, knowing she had a long night ahead of her.

***

Anduin may have used his power for evil.

He tried not too, but he wasn't really sure how else to go about this. Tess had leered at him, but have given him the information anyways and Anduin had been surprised. The Slaughtered Lamb wasn't exactly the best place to find oneself on a good day, let alone to live. He wondered if she knew what sort of things went on in the basement...

But he had a plan, and wanted to surprise her. 

He entered the bar, going up to the man at the bar who seemed surprised and tense once he realized who Anduin was. He didn't relax once even when Anduin asked for Addy. The man directed him towards her room, and went back to cleaning his eyes flickering to the door that lead to the basement. Anduin knew that what went on down there was illegal, but that wasn't why he was there today.

He moved into the back room, finding her door and knocked at it, waiting patiently for her to open it.

He felt an involuntary smile spread across his face when the door opened and Addy stuck her head out. Her copper hair was a rats nest, sticking out in every direction in a mocking halo around her head. Her eyes were slightly unfocussed until they landed on him and immediately came to attention. She squeaked, closing the door to hide her dressing clothes, and her face turned bright red.

"Andui- What're you doing here?" She asked, her voice higher pitched than he'd ever remembered hearing it.

He hesitated, "Is this a bad time."

"No!" She squeaked, sounding unconvincing, "I just....you shouldn't be here, it's not safe."

Anduin beamed, pulling his brown hood further over his head, "I'm in disguise."

Her face softened for a bit, and she gave him a fond smile before chewing on her lip and peeking back into her room.

"Er- Could you just...wait, out in the pub." She flushed again, "I'll be out in a moment."

Anduin smiled widely, nodding quickly, "Of course!"

She flushed again and quickly shut the door to her room.

Anduin took up resident at one of the tables in the pub, ignoring the suspicious looks of Timothy Gillian. Anduin of course knew that Mr Gillian was the leader of a secret Warlock cult that operated out of the pub. Despite what they thought, he and his Father were very much aware of their activities, but so long as they kept to themselves and continued to help out the crown every now and then, they were both willing to look the other way.

A few moments later the door to the back where Addy lived opened and she walked through. Instead of the thick leather armour she wore while training, she was wearing the blue cotton dress that he'd seen her wear multiple times. In place of the white scarf she wore in the summer and fall, she wore an oversized wool cloak that covered her neck. Anduin honestly wished she didn't feel the need to hide her scars. He thought they were amazing - showing her resolve and determination. Showing how she'd literally wrestled a demon into the dirt to survive. He couldn't' imagine ever doing something so brave, but she just covered them up like they were a sign of shame.

He was distracted a few moments later when a second figure came out from the back room. He frowned, not realizing someone else lived there. It was a man, hastily dressed, with messy blonde hair and a five o'clock shadow and a scar across his face. The man was large, very well muscled and had a sword on his back.

The man came up to Addy and whispered something to her. Anduin couldn't hear them, but Addy shook her head smiling. Then, to Anduin's shock, The man chuckled and leaned forward to press a quick kiss to Addy's lips, making her jump. He then headed out, giving a mock salute to Mr. Gillian as he did so. Gillian glared at him as he passed.

Anduin felt his entire face burn as he very suddenly realized what he'd interrupted. 

He felt a twist in his stomach at the thought, but he very quickly pushed it away. It wasn't any of his business what Addy got up in her spare time. But he still felt himself glaring at the man as he left, gritting his teeth. 

Addy rushed over to where he was sitting, her face lightly blushed as she sat across from him, avoiding eye contact.

"Er...friend of yours?" Anduin asked awkwardly, trying to keep his desperate curiosity at bay.

Addy shrugged, slipping into her chair like she wanted to melt into the floor, "Not really. Just some guy."

For some reason Anduin felt a burst of relief at that. He filed that thought away in the back of his mind for analysis later and instead went on about his plans for the day.

"You have today free...right?" Anduin asked, remembering her mention it a few days before.

She shifted her cloak over her shoulder, eyes narrowing, "Yes?"

Anduin beamed, holding out his hand, "Come on. I have a surprise."

Addy hesitated for a moment and for a moment he feared she would say no. But a second later she gave a nod and slipped her small hands into her own, letting him pulled her out of the seat and out of the bar, ignoring the glares of Mr. Gillian on his back as they left.

***

"'Come on" Anduin turned his head back to smile at her, gripping her hand a bit tighter in his as he pulled her along the long dark corridor. Addy allowed the young prince to drag her, wondering how on earth he could see where he was going. The tunnel was to narrow for torches and the only sources of light where the occasional holes in the ceiling. She imagined that it would be pitch black at night.

He had pulled her to the back of the Mage District, towards the city wall she ran twice a week. She thought they'd walk along the front, but instead he'd slipped in a secret door she'd never seen and they were suddenly inside the wall, where a long dark tunnel was laid out.

"Where are we going?" She could hear a bit of laughter in her voice, and she realized that for once she was more charmed than annoyed by his buzzing excitement and chipper attitude. 

He pulled around around the corner and brought a finger up to his lips, hushing her. Addy watched his face as she listened carefully, realizing she could hear the hustle and bustle of the city on the other side of the wall. Through one of the light cracks on the wall she could see a guard walking along the wall, doing his rounds. Anduin beamed, gripping her hand and continuing on their way quietly.

Once they'd finally cleared the populous areas of the city Anduin let go of her hand and started to feel along the wall.

"What are you looking for?" She asked, touching the cold stone behind him.

Anduin continued to feel along the wall, knocking on it every now and then, "A secret door. This corridor is an escape tunnel. All castles have them, in case of a siege the nobility and other persons of interest would escape through these."

Addy wrinkled her nose, walking behind him, "I hardly think your father would be one to run away from a battle?"

Anduin raised his eyebrow, pausing his walk as he looked at her, "You think it cowardly." It was a statement, not a question.

Addy halted, wondering for a moment if she'd insulted his father, "Of course. The nobility are suppose to lead the people. Why should they be able to abandon us while we remained trapped."

Anduin shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed, "Unfortunately not all the Nobles feel that way. Traditionally the tunnels were meant for the very young and old, family members of the leaders."

But they weren't used that way, Addy understood. She knew most nobility thought themselves better than the common people. They might think themselves kind and charitable, but the look of disdain was hard to hide as they made their way through the city. Addy tried her hardest to ignore the stares when she practices in the courtyard, but she often found herself flushed in embarrassment and anger as the Ladies of the court whispered behind fans and others pointed at her tattered dress and messy hair. She'd made extra effort to hide her scars under her scarf, dreading to think of the muffled giggles she would hear should they see her disfigurement.

She looked down now and realized her scarf had fallen and now hung from her shoulder, her neck on display. She didn't really feel the need to cover it. She'd never really tried to hide it from Anduin. What would be the point, he'd already seen it when he attempted to heal it. But she still hid them form others who had seen them.

Around him she forgot about them. He never lets his eyes flicker to them, or brought them up in conversation. It wasn't that he was being polite either, it was like they simply never crossed his mind. 

"But you're right." Anduin continued to walk down the wall, feeling for the hidden exit, "My father wouldn't ever use these tunnels. He had them built because...well..." He paused for a moment, looking back at Addy, "Before Stormwind was rebuilt....it didn't have tunnels like this. I think my father thinks if there had been one..."

Again Addy finished his thought in her mind. Maybe his Father would have escaped when the Horde sacked the city. Along with thousands of others who had died.

Anduin cleared his throat, "This tunnel's been used a few times, during the attack by Deathwing most notably. I was sent then, and luckily I remembered where this is."

He moved his fingers around the edge of the stone wall until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed something and pulled, and a large part of the wall opened up like a door. Addy jumped back, surprised. The door had been well hidden in the brick.

Addy held her hand up to block the sudden burst of light, blinking a few times to let her eyes adjust. When her vision cleared she could see that they were standing very near to the edge of the cliff. As she wandered out onto the snowy ledge she could see a few coiled robes and folded ladders nearby. She peered over the edge of the cliff and saw a number of beached boats, ready to take their cargo somewhere safe.

Anduin ignored all of this though and walked forward along the narrow cliffs edge, keeping close to the city walls, "Follow me!"

Addy bit her lip watching him. The wind was blowing his hair around furiously and his cheeks were a rosy pink from the bitter cold wind blowing off the great sea. His face was more alive than she'd ever seen him.

But her eyes flickered to his feet which were walking forward on an edge that was getting thinner and thinner until he had to cling to wall for support. 

"Wait!" Addy held her hands out.

Anduin paused, looking up at her, "What? Why?"

"Isn't it dangerous? What if there's ice?"

Anduin stared at her dumbfounded, like he'd never even considered the idea. He probably hadn't, "Does it matter?"

"I'm just thinking of your fathers sword..." 

"His sword?" 

"And how it's going to look though my stomach after I get his only son killed by falling off the edge of a cliff."

Anduin huffed, rolling his eyes, "I've done this a hundred times, I promise it'll be fine."

Addy swallowed, but for some dumb reason she didn't understand she actually trusted him. He held out his hand again and Addy nervously took it, allowing him to pull her along the edge of the wall. As she looked down at the waves breaking against the cliff she thanked the light she wasn't scared of heights as Anduin gently guided her.

Eventually the narrow strip of land widened again, opening up into a small alcove that seemed to be near the docks judging by the smell of the fish merchants. On the far side of the opening there was a small crack leading into the cliff.

Anduin still had her hand as he pulled her along to the crack, before moving sideways to fit through it. Addy followed him, and once she got inside she gaped.

The entire room glittered with pale white crystals, they dropped from the ceiling in dangerous looking points and grew from the walls. The light from the entrance danced amongst the rocks and created a shining spectacle. On the other side of the cave was another entrance which lead to a sheer cliff drop and one could see directly over the Sea. Despite the freezing air outside, the cave was warm, and the further towards the back of the cave she went the warmer it went until it felt almost uncomfortable to wear her cloak.

"What is this place?" Addy asked, her voice echoing off the walls.

Anduin moved to a section of the cave not touched by the crystals, sitting down with a large smile, "It's Quartz I think. I found this place when I was a kid, I used to come here when I was hiding from Katrana and Bolvar. I've never shown anyone this place, not even my father."

Addy turned to look at him, a bit dazzled. The reflecting light from the various crystals and rippling lines from the water brightened his face, making it almost glow, "But you showed me? Why?"

Anduin got a strange expression on his face and for a moment it looked like he was blushing, but it must've been a trick of the light, "Well I used to come here to hide out and think, I still come here to think sometimes. And I thought that you've been through a lot and you might like somewhere to come and think and be alone too."

Addy felt her heart melt a little bit at his bashful expression. She gave him a small smile which seemed to make him feel a bit better.

"But what if I come here to be alone, and then you come here to be alone." Addy argued, "Do I have to leave?"

Even though she was only teasing him Anduin shrugged, then cleared his throat awkwardly, "I was thinking that maybe, we could be alone....together?" He phrased it like a question.

Addy raised an eyebrow, straightening her back subconsciously, her new training getting the better of her, "Isn't that highly inappropriate?"

"What-Oh!" Now there was no hiding the blush that covered his face as he spluttered, "No, No I simply meant-"

Addy looked down, flushing. She'd only meant that it was inappropriate for a commoner to be hanging out with the Prince in private. She bit her lip to hide her smile at his stuttering. She was hardly a virgin, but she was starting to suspect the darling Prince might be. Memories of the night before and suddenly the messy blond hair of the nameless warrior belong to someone else and she flushed to her toes.

She cleared that thought out of her head, fighting a smile as she spoke, "I simply meant due to our social differences."

"Oh!" He let out a low breathe, trying to compose himself, "Me as well. Yes, I...yes."

Addy chuckled as she walked over to sit beside him, taking pity on him and deciding to change the subject, "How is it you manage to sneak out here? I would think you would be watched 24/7."

"We're probably being watched right now." Anduin shrugged, "But S1:7 only reports things of necessity to my father, I highly doubt they'll tattled on us."

"Well just so you know, if they ask I'll deny ever meeting you."

He laughed and Addy settled into a comfortable silence. After a while she wondered when it was that she had started to feel comfortable around him. She remembered being so tense whenever he was near, either giving terse, rude responses to his questions or nervously twitching as she waited for him to leave. Now she felt a bit calmer and more open, and no longer expected him to scold her for bad behaviour or simply dismiss her from his company. For some reason beyond her he actually seemed to like spending time with her, which made her feel warm inside.

"I just meant that...the city can be a bit stifling." Anduin explained, "And I thought you might like somewhere you could get out, even if it's just for a little bit."

Addy smiled, then quickly took her cloak off, "It's warm in here."

"It's the quartz." Anduin explained, removing his own, "Another reason I come here in the winter."

The room was overly warm, but the nice breeze coming through the entrance actually made it quite comfortable.

"The nobles are planning a Ball for winter's veil." Anduin started.

Addy frowned, wondering why he was telling her this, "Don't they have one every year?"

"Yeah, but it seems like a waste of money and time now, doesn't it?"

Addy chuckled and Anduin seemed surprised.

"You're laughing at me?" He asked. He didn't sound upset, just curious.

Addy shrugged, "A little bit. It's just...to us common folk, it always seems like a waste of money and time. I don't see why it would be any different now."

Anduin looked contemplative, like he'd never considered that, "My Father says it's to try and lift morale. Make people forget about the Legion, even if it's just for a night."

"For the Nobles, sure." Addy thought bitterly.

Anduin snorted, "My father still thinks me a child sometimes. The ball is to try and entice the nobles to stay in the city. More and more are leaving as an attack becomes more imminent. If they leave they don't pay as many taxes and we lose revenue that could be used to rebuild our army." He shook his head, "I think he forgets I've been studying politics since I was old enough to understand what it meant."

Addy nodded and studied him. She thought he'd probably be a good king. Not that his father wasn't, but his Father was a warrior and no doubt it was hard for him to turn that off. But Anduin was kind. And kind people always made the best leaders.

"You should go." Addy said swallowing. "To the ball."

Anduin seemed surprised by her statement, "Wh-Really?"

"Yeah." Addy nodded, looking down at the dirt floor, "Your father's right, it's good for morale - seeing the leaders in public. Show the people you're not afraid."

"I am afriad."

Addy was silent at that, unsure if he realized he'd spoke out loud. They'd been getting closer over the last month or so, meeting up in the library multiple times a week and talking late into the night. But this showed a level of trust that scared her, they'd only known each other a small time, and most of it was spent with dislike on her end.

She looked out the window and over the sea. It wasn't the right angle to see Westfall, but she knew that there were still demons there, you could still see their Pods from the keep. The smoke had long since vanished, but at night you could see an eerie green glow emanating from the land.

"You'd be a fool not to be." Addy swallowed, "Anyone who isn't afraid is an idiot."

Anduin was quiet, and she could feel his eyes on her. She avoided his gaze, terrified of what he'd find in her eyes. Terror maybe. She wasn't an idiot, she could still remember the first attack, the weight of the felhunter on her chest, the screams of her loved ones as the demons ripped them apart and burned them. The heat filled roar of the Pit Lord as it tried to topple the tower on top of innocent women and children.

And the lifeless eyes of the girl she had failed to save.

Addy straightened up, looking over to Anduin, "Teach me how to heal."

He startled, giving her a quizzical look, "I thought you knew how to heal."

"I'm no good at it." Addy growled, not liking to admit something she wasn't good at, "I tried to heal my neck and I botched it, I can barely heal most cuts and bruises without exhausting myself. Father Samuel is teaching me to fight, which is important. I want to kill demons, but I want to help people too."

She looked over at the Prince and was thrown by the look he was giving her. It was soft and warm and...something else she couldn't describe. 

"You're good at healing." Addy pointed out.

Anduin hesitated, and then nodded, "I am. It comes much easier to me than fighting, much to my father's chagrin."

He reached his arm out, and then yanked it back, leaving Addy to look at him curiously. He curled his hand into a fist, before moving forward again, touching the edge of her scarf and pulling it away from her neck, completely showing the scarring underneath.

It hadn't gotten any better. The skin was dark and rough, with thick heavy ridges of scar tissue that covered the entire front of her neck, stopping just above her collar bones. Parts of the scar dripped over her jaw and onto her cheeks in small lines where the demon drool had dripped onto her face. The worse of the scarring was on her right side, where it dipped behind her ear and towards the back of her head in a small patch where hair no longer grew.

She expected him to grimace, or look at her in pity, but he did neither. Instead he touched it gently, making her jump. She sat there stiffly as he studied it, his eyes curious and calm and he did so.

"Is there..." She swallowed, flinching slightly, "Is there anything...that could be done?"

Anduin frowned, his face pinched, "I can't heal it...we heal with the light and the flesh has been tainted with demonic energy. I've seen burns like these before, on Draenei and...after Outland. Velen taught me a method for healing burns such as these, but it's...gruesome."

"Could it be done?" Addy asked quickly, not caring about how gruesome it was. 

Anduin tilted his head slightly, and then shook it softly. Addy felt her shoulders slump a bit.

"It's...it's similar to how you treat a necrotic wound. First you have to...cut away the dead flesh, to make sure that when you heal you don't trap it inside the body. To heal your scars we'd need to...carve away the tainted skin, and then heal the remaining wound. If the scar was on your arm, or legs or chest or back or anywhere else it would be simple. Painful, but simple. But carving around your throat...it's too dangerous."

"What about the one's on my face." She swallowed, "Or the back of my head?"

He gave her a sad look, reaching down and gripping one of her hands, "It doesn't work that way. The taint will still be there. I'll need to get all of it at once, and it's too dangerous."

Addy looked down, her face contorted into a frown. It wasn't that big of a deal, she'd already known she'd have to deal with the scars forever, but knowing there was a solution, but it wouldn't work for her...made it worse somehow.

"They're not so bad." Anduin shrugged, looking at them, "You don't have to cover them. I've seen way worse before."

"Really?" She scoffed.

"Oh yeah." He nodded seriously, but there was a spark of humour in his eyes, "One times I saw a man without a nose. Have you ever seen that?" 

Addy snorted. She didn't feel better, but she appreciated him trying.

"It's cold out." She defended, "Maybe in the summer."

He shook his head chuckling. "Maybe then. Tell me about your training?"

"What?" 

He stood up and moved back to a rock, falling to the floor and leaning against it, "You want to learn healing, tell me what Father Samuel has trained you in."

"Oh," Addy shifted, and knelt on the floor next to him, "We haven't really focussed on healing, or anything light based really. Mostly just strength building and endurance. He says that a lot of spells take strength and energy to hold, and I need to build that up if I ever hope to do them for longer than a few seconds."'

Anduin nodded, "All very important. I suppose Paladin training is different than priest training. Healing is....difficult. More difficult than fighting in some ways. Because it's not always as simple as just using the light to make all wounds going away. You need to...understand what it is you're healing. Like I said about rotten flesh, if you don't know what you're doing you could accidentally trap dead flesh inside the body. It becomes a poison and can kill a person from the inside out."

Addy swallowed, thinking of the girl, Katie. How she'd thought she was healing her hand, not realizing she had inner bleeding.

"How...how do you know if somethings wrong." Addy asked. "What if it's something you can't see."

"Well practice helps." Anduin noted, "Eventually you'll be able to pick up on hints, symptoms that you'll recognized."

"Or your energy draining." Addy mumbled.

Anduin nodded, "Yes, that's also a hint. Once you get a handle on how much energy it should take to heal an injury, you'll notice if something is wrong."

Addy nodded, trying to swallow the lump which had risen. She cleared her throat and forced back any tears, "Where did you learn all this anyways?"

"The Exodar." Anduin beamed, "Velen taught me a lot of what I know about the light, but other things I learned from books. The library in Stormwind is quite extensive. Many of the tomes were saved from the sacking of the city and many more were recused from Lordaeron and other human kingdoms. There's thousands of years of knowledge in there."

Addy swallowed nervously. She couldn't very well go to the Exodar, "Could you teach me?" She asked, "I...I don't know much about medicine."

"There's first aid trainers at the Cathedral." Anduin suggested, "And I could lend you some readings-"

"No!" Addy spoke quickly, perhaps too quickly. She winced as Anduin turned his suspicious gaze on her and she looked away.

Anduin licked his lips lightly, looking awkward, "You, uh...you don't know how to read, do you?"

Addy felt her face burn bright red in humiliation and she shot up off the floor, grabbing her scarf, "I really must be going - I-I promised I'd help Mr. Tim with the mid day rush if it got busy and...and I really should be practicing Father Samuel would be furious if he found out I-"

"Addy!" Anduin stood up, holding his hands out, "Addy it's okay. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed." She lied, trying to hide her face.

"It's my fault." Anduin urged, "I sometimes forget my privilege. Please don't go."

Addy paused, her eyes flickering up to his face. He looked stricken, and even a bit red in the cheeks.

"I...I didn't mean to insult you." He spoke sincerely, "I shouldn't have assumed."

"It's fine." Addy spoke through gritted teeth, trying to push down her embarrassment. "I...my grandfather, he-"

"You don't have to explain." Anduin held up a hand, shaking his head as he moved in closer, "Most people can't read. It's a shame, I..." His eye light up, "I could teach you!"

Addy flushed, "No, no it's fine. I've lived my whole life without it, i'm sure I'll be fine. Besides will my training and my work and everything else, I'm not sure I've got the time."

Anduin shrugged, "I could do it. I taught a bunch of Draenei in Exodar to read common when I was there, and they taught me a little bit of Draenei, it's a bit like Eredun but, well..." He trailed off, realizing he was rambling.

Addy's face was blank as she watched him, "I'm sure you've got better things to do than teach some farm girl how to read."

"You'd be surprised." Anduin's face changed to a small frown, and Addy could see his jaw clench through his cheek, "My father..."

Addy wondered if she was allowed to ask. If it involved secrets and information not available to common folks. But the curiosity was killing her.

"What's happening?" She asked, her voice low. She still wasn't certain they weren't being watched, "With the Legion. Is there....anything?"

Anduin walked away from her, moving towards the large entrance that dropped towards the cold ocean. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms as he looked out.

"Nothing." He admitted, "It's been months since the last attack and there hasn't been a hint. They've left Westfall, leaving a small ground crew and their weapons and pods. Their ship hasn't been seen. The Horde knowns nothing. Nobody does. And we still don't know where they're coming from..."

"Outland?" Addy guessed.

Anduin shook his head, "No. The Dark Portal's been quite since Garrosh. Reports from Outland show less demon activity, not more...almost like they're pulling out."

"Regrouping?" Addy suggested.

Anduin nodded, "That's what we think. But where too? Argus seems like the most obvious answer." Addy looked at him confused. "The demon world," He elaborated.

"Oh." Addy looked down, "Well if that's true then they would have had to open a portal from that world to this one, right?"

"That's what we believe." Anduin nodded, "But we have no idea where it is. Both Horde and Alliance have been scouring the world for it, looking for anything that might hint at it. Northrend, Kalimdor, bloody Pandaria even- there's nothing. No portals, no hints of portals."

"Maybe they closed it." Addy pointed out.

"Possibly." Anduin looked back at her nodding, "Or more likely we just haven't found the blasted thing yet. We haven't walked on every piece of land on this world. Not yet. The Night Elves have been scouring old tomes, searching for any bit of information."

Addy picked at her scarf nervously, looking up at him as he looked over the sea.

"Do we have a chance?" She asked him, trying to stop her jaw from quivering in fear, "At all...against the Legion?"

Anduin was silent, still staring at the water. It was silent now and far beneath her she could hear the waves crashing up against the cliff. She could hear the cawing of crows who made their nests in the hills around the city, and the howling wind as it echoed through the cave. It brought a bitter cold and it made her shiver momentarily.

"I hope so." Anduin finally spoke, "The light has been fighting the Legion for millennia. The elves managed to push them back Ten Thousand Years ago...I pray that we can do the same now."

"What about..." She trailed off as she tried to remember the name. "I...the leader of the Legion. The one from the Aegwynn story. My grandfather loved to tell me it as a child. I hated it...it scared me."

"Sargeras." Anduin turned around and leaned his back against the wall of the cave, a smile on his face, "Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt?" He asked.

"Yes." Addy nodded. "Dragons scare me."

Anduin barked out a laugh and she glared at him.

"What?"

He shook his head in disbelief, "A story about demons and monstrous titan's and great battles and the Dragons were the one's who scare you?"

She flushed, shrugging, "I dunno. They're so powerful, and anyone could be a dragon. Any stranger you meet in the streets. Or maybe it terrified me that such powerful creatures couldn't stop the onslaught of the Legion."

Anduin nodded, "Dragon's aren't really scary. They're just like anyone...they're good ones and bad ones. They're smart...smarter than human's thats for sure." He got a far away look in his eyes and his face went downwards for a moment, "They can be kind..."

"Maybe we should find Aegwynn then." Addy joked, "She defeated Sorgus once, maybe she could do it again?"

Anduin snorted loudly, covering his mouth and then his whole body shook in silent laugher.

"You're laughing at me." She glared, but his laugher was contagious and she couldn't help the smile on her face.

"Sargeras." He corrected, chuckling, "And Aegwynn didn't defeat him she just...." He trailed off as his grin quickly left his face. Addy watched his eyes flicker back and forth, like he was reading something in his mind, and she saw something light up in his eyes.

"What?" Addy straightened, watching him curiously, "What is it?"

"I...I have to go." He leapt from the wall, running his finer through his fair, "I'm sorry, I've just had a thought and..."

"It's fine." Addy assured him, feeling a bit amused.

Anduin paused for a moment, "I'll escort you back-"

"If it's alright, could I stay here for a bit?" She asked, looking down, "It's nice here....and warm. I...thank you for showing me."

"Of course." He looked pleased and stood up a bit straighter, before remembering whatever his thought was. He walked passed her, before stopping and turning back. He stopped it front of her and leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. He smiled at her, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure." She stumbled over her words, her eyes wide in surprise. He beamed and then without another word he had run out of the cave and back towards the city.

Addy watched him leave with a sigh, before standing up and walking over to the window out over the sea. The wind coming off the water was chilly and she pulled her scarf closer to her she watched it hit the cliffs. She wondered how long it would take for the waves to break the cliff, and bring the cave and all it's crystals into the sea.

And she wondered if Azeroth would still be around long enough to see it.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: An extra long chapter for you guys, because you've been waiting so patiently! Thank you so much for everyone for your lovely reviews and comments, you are all fantastic! i can't believe the amount of support this story has gotten! The wait was a bit long, mostly because of several Wranduin fics I was working on (one of which i've posted), and also because my boss was out of town and I've been working 12 hour days to pick up the slack until he's back. But i had a day off today and decided to push this out because of how many comments and reviews I've gotten in the last week.
> 
> Let's talk about that cinematic. Like...my god. My god. That's literally all I can say. I have so many emotions and feelings surrounding me. I love both Sylvanas and Anduin so it was literally like christmas had come early. Like I'm pretty ride or die Alliance but shit man...that banshee scream. I'm in love. And Anduin I swear to god if you hurt him blizzard he deserves happiness god damnit.
> 
> Well at least Wrathion is coming back, but he doesn't have a new model from what i've heard so I dunno how big of a role he'll have.
> 
> Speaking of new models - fuck me up Jaina. God damn I am in love with her new model how gorgeous is she.
> 
> I have so many things to talk about, but I don't have the time to do it all here. I do have a WOW only tumblr at anduinnwrynn (I used to be medvh, but I changed so heads up for those who already follow me). It's mostly memes and my stupid 2am theories but I have a good time there.
> 
> Thank you all again for your love and support - feel free to leave reviews and comments!
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	17. Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt

Chapter 17: Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt

Anduin rushed through the dark corridor of the city walls, stopping every now and then to peek out to remain aware of his position. He knew better than to run through the streets of the city, and this was the quickest way to the Cathedral from where he'd been.

He eventually arrived beside the Cathedral District, and pulled himself out of the wall. A few people recognized him, but he was a common site at the church so nobody stopped him or questioned him as he quickly ran up the steps.

He entered the Cathedral and nodded to the Bishop before making his way to the stairs that lead to the basement. He briefly remembered meeting Addy there, it had been the first conversation they'd really had. But he pushed that to the back of his mind. He was on a mission after all.

He travelled into the back room with the shelves of books not meant for public consumption. Rare books and old books and books with information on dark rituals and evil magics that were best kept under lock and key. He searched through the shelves, trying to locate what he was searching for. 

He quickly located a scroll with a purple ribbon wrapped around it tightly. It was old and he was gentle as he unrolled it and placed it on the table, the flickering candlelight lighting it up.

The scroll wasn't uncommon, but it was old. Very old. One of the very first copies of Aegwynn and the Dragon hunt. His eyes scanned the scroll, looking for something very specific.

"Fearing that Sargeras' spirit would linger on, Aegwynn locked the ruined husk of his body within one of the ancient temples of a lost goddess of Kalimdor that had been abandoned and destroyed when the Well of Eternity collapsed"

Anduin knew his history. The Kalimdor this scroll referred too was not the Kalimdor they knew today, but the huge continent that had once included all land they knew today.

This wording in this scroll was different than more modern versions of the tale. Newer tales say the building was sunk, but this one simply said destroyed. But that wasn't what concerned him. The scroll spoke of 'Ancient temple of a lost goddess'. Newer tales referred to it as an Ancient hall, but this...this seemed to hint at something else.

He went back to the shelf, looking for a different book. This one was newer, a few decades old at most, but it was the only copy of it in the entire world. 

Anduin located it easily enough, the blue and gilded gold bindings made it stand out.He looked over the title with a small smile.

'Tales from The Second Great War' by High General Turalyon.

Anduin knew there were hundreds of people who would give their right arms for a chance to read this book. Anduin had read it a hundred times, it was one of his favourites, if only for the fact that it was written by Turalyon himself. But also for another reason.

This book bad been written after the second war, but before Khadgar and Turalyon and Alleria and the other heroes had gone through the Dark Portal. He had interviewed hundreds of men who all told their tales and he had complied them into a history of sorts.

But what made this book truly unique, however, is that the Paladin had interviewed many of the captured Orc's, getting an altogether different side of the story.

He remembered something in here quite clearly - a great mystery of the Second War. It seemed so obvious to him now that he wanted to slap himself. How hadn't they seen it? How hadn't they made this connection?

He quickly found what he was looking for. A nameless orc, a foot solider in the infant Horde. But he had spoken of something that none others had: The Fate of Gul'dan.

"...He took a boat, our fastest. And some orcs, not fighters, the ones who wield the magic of Gul'dan. They travelled into the great sea. I heard them talking, talking of a temple where a great power rested, a power that would rid us of any enemy that stood in our path..."

A temple...

Many people had wondered what had happened to the Warlock. He had simply vanished, and no one had seen him until Illidan Stormrage had shown up with his skull. How he'd died had been a mystery.

Gul'dan worked for the Legion, in this timeline and the next one. If Sargeras was trapped in a sunken temple...or a destroyed temple, no doubt he would seek him out.

It had been years since the assault on Hellfire Citadel, the defeat of Archimonde and Gul'dan. But Gul'dan hadn't died. Could he have found his way into their world? Their timeline. And if so, what was stopping him from completing the very mission his alternate self had died trying to accomplish.

He gathered up the two books. He needed to take this to his father.

***

Addy spent her evening training in her room. Sit ups, pull ups, push ups. She did so until the sweat rolled off her body and she collapsed into her bed, not bothering to light a fire. There was enough heat from the pub and the winter air from outside cooled her hot skin.

She regretted it in the morning. She curled up in her bed, freezing, long before the sun rose above the horizon.

She pulled herself out of bed, dressed, and made her way to the tower where she started her run. She usually began without Father Samuel present, but by the time it ended he would be waiting at the end of the tower for her.

Her runs were much better than they had been. She still had to walk the last lag, but she was no longer crawling for half of it. 

Afterwards Father Samuel took her to an arena: didn't matter which one, as long as no one else was there. There he would proceed to pummel her for several hours.

He swung his large sword down on her and she side stepped, swinging to strike at his unprotected side, but he pulled back. She quickly brought her sword to her front, ready to protect herself from any hit.

He swung at her neck and she ducked, twisting to sweep his feet out from under him. He fell back, but landed on his hands, flipping and springing back to his feet.

"Get in closer." Samuel barked, "You're smaller, with a smaller sword. Get in close and those with a large sword can't reach you."

Addy nodded and twisted in close, slicing upward. He leapt back and she came in close again, and again, and again. She twisted and turned, slamming the blunted metal against his. Neither of them could get a hit until with a dingle move Samuel grabbed her pony tail and yanked her to the ground. She screamed as he pressed the tip of his sword to her throat.

"And get rid of that." He grumbled, overtop of her. "Cut it off, or braid it tight. Anything the enemy can grab is dangerous.

Addy rubbed her head where he tore at her hair, stumbling to her feet. "You're grumpy today."

He didn't respond, instead opening his water skin and taking a deep drink. 

Addy narrowed her eyes, "Why are you grumpy?"

Father Samuel looked up at the skies. He reached behind him to redo the elastic which held his dreads out of his face. He had a contemplative look on his face and it concerned her a bit.

She wouldn't say they were close, at least not anymore than mentor and apprentice. The only words they ever shared were commands and affirmations. But she spent more time with him than any other, even the prince and Mr. Tim, so she was getting good at reading him.

"Every winter I travel to the Abbey." He said, "Only for a fortnight, usually to train a few common folk who make the voyage for basic training from the local farms."

"Why the winter?" Addy asked, curious, "Wouldn't summer be better?"

"Most of the men and women I train are farmers." He explained, "Some want to protect themselves from bandits, others want to be warriors and soldiers and require basic training. They pay a small tax to the church, offers their services for the winter, and in exchange the church trains them. As a Paladin I am a servant of the church, and I answer the call most winters."

Addy nodded, swinging her sword around, "Alright, then we'll take a break for couple of weeks, I'll train on my own. It's not that big of a deal." 

He paused, then shook his head, "It's different this year. The majority of the Stormwind army was decimated. People are lining up, coming from all over the Eastern Kingdoms to train. It's the cheapest and quickest way. Normally I train half a dozen, right now there's more than fifty waiting, and more come every day."

Addy felt like she'd swallowed a lemon, "How...how long will you be gone?"

"Until spring." Father Samuel winced, "Maybe longer. Depending."

"Oh."

She felt bitter. He was supposed to train her, she did everything he wanted, trained sun up to sundown and worked harder that she'd ever worked in her life. Her body had hardened, her muscles growing, her power growing. And now he was going to leave, for months? She needed to be ready for the next attack, and she wasn't right now! What if they attacked when he was gone? 

"You have options." Father Samuel continued. Addy looked at him curiously, "You can stay here, train on your own, continue your exercises, and wait for me to return. Or..."

Addy waited for him to elaborate, "Or?"

"Or." He smirked at her, "You could come with me."

Addy paused for a moment. She hadn't thought of that. She hadn't ever considered leaving Stormwind. She'd only been here six months or so, but it was her home now. She had a bed, some friends. Was she willing to leave it all behind again?

The last time she left home she'd never returned.

"Think on it." Father Samuel raised his sword, "Now block!"

Addy scrambled her sword up as he swung at her with his massive two handed sword.

***  
Anduin spent maybe an hour trying to explain his train of thought to his father. At first his father had seemed dubious, but the more Anduin went over everything the more his Father seemed to believe him, and even agree with him.

"I think it's the same temple." Anduin explained, "Aegwynn buried the Avatar of Sargeras in an old Night Elf Temple. If Gul'dan was working with the Legion it would make sense that he would search for this Tomb, and release the essence of Sargeras from the Avatar."

His Father frowned, looking down at the accounts of the First and Second wars written by Turalyon. His eyes looked far away and Anduin got the sense he was lost in memory.

"What if alternate Gul'Dan went to the same place? It's probably soaked in fel energy already, and nobody knows where it is."

"We need to talk to Tyrande." HIs father muttered, looking around, "Maybe she know's where this Temple is. Or where it was at the very least."

Anduin walked over to a large map of Azeroth his father kept pinned to the wall. It was covered in drawings and lines and small pins recoridng newly discovered land and troop movements. He saw a line of small pin holes in the drawn outline of Pandaria and winced, knowing immediately that it was the remnants of his Father tracking Anduin's movements in the continent.

He looked over the map and started to locate possible areas where an undiscovered island might be.

"Here...." He motioned to an area of sea south of Pandaria, "We've never explored here. And....here." He pointed to water west of the Khaz Modan, between it and the Maelstorm, "We always avoid this area because the Maelstrom creates a riptide and unpredictable waters. But then again, we never noticed Pandaria until a few years ago and it's practically in the middle of our shipping routes."

"One step at a time." Varian sighed, "I'll ask Tyrande if she has any maps from before the sundering. If we can track this temple back then, maybe we can narrow down where it ended up."

Anduin let out a breathe of relief. They finally had something of a plan, an idea where to look.

"I have some bad news."

Anduin paused, feeling a moment of panic as he looked up to his father. The man looked pinched and awkward, but more amused than anything. Anduin relaxed a bit, but still watched him hesitantly.

"What is it?"

His father opened a wooden drawer and pulled out a scroll, "Got this. Apparently Princess Tess has decided to travel to Darnassus to spend the holiday's with her mother."

Anduin felt the blood drain from his face, "What?"

His father's lip twitched, and he looked down at the scroll, "Yes. So it seems that she won't be able to attend the ball with you."

Anduin groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Since Tess had come to live in the city she'd attended every Ball of the year. At first they'd both assumed they would be married one day, but then Tess discovered a rather strong crush on Duchess Lucia and that future seemed to vanish. After that it was a sort of ruse, attending with each other to avoid having to attend with someone else. 

"What if I don't go with anyone?" Anduin asked.

"Well..." Varian tilted his head, "If you want to risk offending every Lord and Lady in the city. But you know what I think about that."

Anduin snorted. His father always managed to offend at least three nobles at any good event. Anduin was never sure what he said but more than once he'd seen officials glancing at him wistfully, like they couldn't wait for the day they didn't have to deal with his father anymore.

Anduin sighed, running over potential people in his mind, "Who hasn't sent a proposal for marriage?"

"Lady Faraday." HIs father thought about it, "Lady Margaret. Duchess Lydia. And...I think Lady Bradley."

Anduin groaned. Lady Faraday was engaged, Duchess Lydia was a forty-seven year old widow, and Lady Bradley was seven. Lady Margaret could be appropriate but he knew she would likely attend with Lord Farley, with whom she'd been having a rather sordid affair.

"What about Miss Fairchild?"

Anduin groaned, "Not this again."

His father shrugged, "You're friendly with her. You might as well attend with someone whose company you'll enjoy."

Anduin shook his head for a few seconds, before straightening,"I don't think it's something she'd be interested in.'

"You won't know if you don't ask." Varian pointed out. He reached around the table and grabbed the papers and books anduin had brought him, "I need to find Tyrande."

Anduin nodded and waved him off, watching as he left the room. Anduin sighed and looked down, wincing as he stood up.

His father had a point.

***

Addy was surprised to find Anduin standing outside her room the next day.

"Are we sneaking out again?" She snorted, smiling at him, "I'm not exactly free today, you know."

"Would you like to attend the ball with me?"

Addy's expression froze, "Excuse me?"

"The Winter Veil ball." It was only now that she noticed how awkward he looked, his face red and pink and avoiding looking directly at her, "As friends, I mean."

Addy blinked, still trying to process what he was saying. To be honestly it sounded....awful. The exact opposite of something she would find enjoyable. Lords and Ladies parading around in jewels and crystals and a year of someone's life stitched on their backs. She could imagine their jeers and sneers and constant attention on the poor ugly peasant girl who'd come with the Prince.

"Normally I got with Tess." Anduin continued, rambling, "I know she's not interested in me and it keeps the others at bay. But now she's gone to Teldrassil to spend the season with her mother. And throwing me to the wolves..." He muttered the last bit to himself, his face pinched a bit.

Addy snorted, but still shifted awkwardly, words flowing from her mouth before she could stop them, "I can't actually...I'm er...not going to be in the city."

She regretted them as soon as they left her mouth, as Anduin deflated completely, "Oh. Where are you going?'

She racked her brain trying to remember the place, "Northshire. Father Samuel is heading up there to train new recruits and I'm going with him." She paused, looking at his surprised expression, "I was going to tell you, but it was a recent decision."

As in five seconds ago.

He paused, "How long are you going to be gone."

"Spring." She remembered Father Samuel saying, "Maybe a bit longer. It depends on how many need training."

"Yeah, we need the men." Anduin spoke like he was reading off a script.

"Sorry about the ball." Addy spoke, trying not to sound as relieved as she felt, and trying to erase the expression on his face from her memory. The word 'crushed' came to mind.

Anduin shook his head, "I'll figure something out. May I write you?"

Addy blinked at him in surprise, "Why?"

"Why?" He frowned, "We're friends. Friends write other friends."

She flushed. He was her friend, wasn't he? How had they become friends without her realizing it? Especially since she'd been so against it? She looked up at him face, which looked so bright and eager and innocent and realized that it had probably been inevitable.

"I can't read." She reminded him, "Or write."

"I'll write you anyways." He shrugged. "I'm sure there's a scribe there somewhere."

Addy didn't reply to that. She felt a bit..strange, thinking about that. She wasn't sure she'd want anyone to see her messages with the Prince. She didn't think they would talk about anything sensitive in nature, but at the same time she still felt rather private about their time together.

"I'll keep you updated too." Anduin promised, "About the attacks. As much as I can anyways."

Addy gave him a grateful smile, "I'd appreciate that. I...did you find out whatever it was you figured out yesterday?"

Anduin paused, but then nodded softly, "Yeah...I just remembered these old books that might have some hints about where the Legion's portal to Azeroth is."

Addy peered around the small hall, looking at the door that lead back into the pub, "Why don't you come in. I don't think Mr. Tim likes you very much."

"Probably because he thinks I'll have him arrested for the illegal Warlock Cult in the basement."

Addy gapped at him, her mind reeling, "The Illegal what in the where now?"

Anduin snorted before covering his mouth with his hand, flushing, "Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"I'm gonna skin him." Addy grumbled, narrowing her eyes at the door to the pub before opening the door to her bedroom, "Come in."

Anduin hesitated, and Addy supposed it was improper. But she didn't care. She wasn't planning anything untoward and she knew Anduin was too honourable to try anything with her. He walked into her small room, looking around with a small smile.

"I like the flowers." He pointed to the small pot of purple chrysanthemums beside her bedside table.

Addy shrugged, sitting on her bed, "I pick them from the garden by the mage tower. The local gardener is annoyed, but hasn't figured out it's me yet. I've been thinking about switching to tulips just to mix things up a bit."

Anduin raised an eyebrow. The mages were rather proud of their small charmed garden. It grew, even in winter with arcane barriers around it to keep out the snow. He knew they were probably more than a little annoyed with her innocent thefts but he found himself smiling along with her.

"It's too bad you'll miss New Years." Anduin smiled, opting to stand instead of sitting on the bed with her, "The fireworks are spectacular."

"I know." Addy smiled softly, "You could see them from Sentinel Hill. I used to go every year and watch them with my Grandfather and Gryan."

Anduin looked a bit nervous at the mention of Gryan, and Addy knew he still felt guilty for his death - as if he'd personally caused it. He leaned against the wall in her room, crossing his arms, "When I was a boy, my father and I used to watch them from his room in the keep - he has a perfect view over the city. I remember once when I was eight he didn't show up. I was...sad, I think. He'd been getting more and more distant at the time. Now I know it was due to Onyxia's manipulations, but it still hurt. He showed up a few hours later and I remember seeing the look of realization on his face when he saw me sitting there. Ever since he's made sure to come back to see the fireworks with me. Even when he was in Northrend he had a portal opened so he could come back home and watch them with me."

Addy felt a burst of something in her chest - nostalgia for something she'd never known. She'd never had a father, or a mother. Not that she could remember. And for the first time she could remember she thought she might actually miss them.

"He loves you very much." 

Anduin had a dopy side smile that made her heart race a bit in her chest. "Yeah. I know. It's unbearable." He joked lightly. "He was the one who suggested I ask you."

"W-What" Addy's voice raised a few notches, "He what?"

Anduin laughed at her confusion and flushed face, "Calm down. He just knows that we're friends and that I like to avoid...I suppose 'courtship proposals' would be a polite way of phrasing it."

"Is it really so bad?" Addy asked, feeling a bit amused and glad for a change to a more light hearted topic.

Anduin seemed to sink into himself, groaning, "Not really. I mean..." He trailed off, "It's more the staring. Most Ladies of the court would never approach directly. They wait for you to approach them - so for the entire night they stare, like a group of lionesses waiting to pounce on their pray."

Addy snorted, "Sounds dangerous."

"Yes, well it's nothing like what my father has to go through." Anduin smirked, "He never takes a date, because of well...you know. But plenty of ladies seem to think that he might actually remarry one day. At least I usually have Tess to keep the lions at bay."

Addy tried to imagine Anduin crouching behind Tess Greymane, the tiny girl in her fancy blue dress and chuckled to herself. 

"Oh it's good to know the Alliance is in the hands of such brave warriors." She quipped.

Anduin laughed outright at that, looking surprised at her audacity. 

They entered a comfortable silence for a few moments, the sounds of people walking by outside and the occasional caw of a raven echoing from outside and the cackling from the small fire place in the corner of her room.

"You'll come back, right?" Anduin asked suddenly, looking at her sadly, "To Stormwind?"

Addy looked around the small room that had become her home. She'd probably have to leave it, she couldn't afford to keep paying rent for it if she wasn't working. "I'll go wherever Father Samuel goes, until I finish my training."

"And after that?" Anduin asked.

Addy frowned, "After that...I'll go where I'm needed. To fight the Legion. So I suppose you'll just have to find that portal for me."

"I suppose so." Anduin mumbled, a small frown on his face.

Addy paused for a moment, trying to understand what had cause his mood to sour, "I'll come back eventually, I...suppose this is my home now. I'll always come back home."

Anduin smiled a bit, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Would it be too forward of me to say that I'll miss you?"

"I don't know." Addy gave him a soft smile, "I might be offended."

"I hope not."

Addy paused at the serious tone in his voice, "I suppose...I would miss your company as well."

"Just my company?" He asked, his eyes bright and playful like they always should be. Addy flushed and he gave her a wide smile, "I'll write...I promise."

"And I'll come back." Addy retorted, "I promise."

Both of these promises weighted on their hearts as they talked long into the night.

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Definitely a shorter chapter than last time - sorry to say but long chapters like that aren't gonna be the norm. This chapter's a bit of a filler, with a bit of exposition which I hate but what can you do. To be honest I kind of hate this chapter. It's mostly just full of stuff that didn't fit into last chapter, but didn't fit into the next one.
> 
> I'll try to update soon. Next chapter is a long one and kind of a two for one sort of deal. Lots of Addy and Lot's of Father Samuel that's for sure.
> 
> Feel free to follow me on my WoW tumblr anduinnwrynn (changed from medvh).
> 
> Until Next time,
> 
> -Ash


	18. Northshire Abbey

The Abbey was small, smaller than she'd expected. It was about the size of the cathedral in Stormwind City, but she knew that the living quarters of the Priests were part of the same building, unlike the rectory which housed them in the city. They made their money off a nearby vineyard, which was currently covered in snow. The area surrounding the abby was filled with tents, where about a hundred people were making camp. Luckily, she and Father Samuel got their own tent, and didn't have to squeeze into one of the large communal set ups which held as many as ten different people.

The tents were charmed, and cozy warm inside, with small cots that kept their bedrolls off the ground. there was a small table between the cots, with a lantern on it, and a mat on the floor to keep their feet dry. 

It wasn't anywhere near as nice as her shabby apartment in Stormwind, but still somehow nicer than the hovel she lived in in westfall.

She'd given her apartment key to Mr. Tim when she'd left, but he'd just stared at her blankly.

"You coming back?" He'd asked.

Addy shrugged, remembering her promise to Anduin, "Probably."

He looked down at the glass he was washing. "Keep it. No one else in this city is dumb enough to take a job here."

Fairly certain that she'd just been insulted, she took the key with her.

It was night time when they arrived, and Addy quickly ate some stew that a large man with huge sideburns was cooking over a large central fire. Afterwards she loosened her damp clothing, leaving them hanging to dry over night. The warming spells on the tent left it toasty warm and she quickly found herself falling asleep.

The next day Father Samuel brought her to a large group of about a hundred people, all gathered outside the Abbey. Most were humans, but she saw the occasional dwarf and Gnome throughout the crowd as well. She tucked herself quietly in the group as Father Samuel took his place in front of them. Everyone in the group quieted down immediately, each peering over each other to get a good look.

"I'm not going to do introductions," Father Samuel began quickly "You're all here for your own reasons, but it all comes down to learning how to fight. Some of you might have held a sword before, but I bet most of you haven't. So today we train, and tomorrow you'll be split into groups based on your knowledge. Now, let's get started, we don't have time to waste."

The rest of the day was filled with what Addy considered a normal day. They all went on a run, shorter than the one's she was used too due to the bitter cold, and then did some basic exercises. After that he paired them up and set about having them do routines.

Addy expected to work with Father Samuel specifically, but to her surprise he paired her up with a rather large man with a smug smirk on his face that immediately annoyed her. She was hesitant as she walked over to him, watching Father Samuel move to help some of the less experienced trainees.

"You ready?" The guy asked, holding up a monster of a sword. Addy, who had herself picked a sword a bit lighter than what she usually trained with, eyed it nervously.

She held up her sword, trying to think about everything Father Samuel said about fighting a larger opponent.

But it turned out she didn't need too. For all his bravado, the man seemed to run off pure strength and no skill. The sword he held was far too large, and he didn't seemed to know how to use it. He'd thought her an easy target and had started the routine aggressively. But Addy knew better. She easily used his own momentum against him, causing him to burst past her, and fall into the dirt.

Addy paused for a moment, worried that she'd pissed him off. But after a few seconds she heard a low rough chuckle escape from the man. He pressed a fist into the ground, using the tip of his sword to push himself up.

"You're faster than you look." He grunted.

Addy shrugged, "You're build like a brick house. Hard not to be."

He laughed, "I've been told that before."

He introduced himself as Joseph. Apparently his wife had been in the Stormwind army and had died in the second invasion. He'd been a farm hand, but when he learned of her death he'd immediately decided to sign up for the army - but first he had to learn to fight.

"I figure." He grunted as they ran one morning, "If I die, then I get to see her again. And if I don't then that's another demon I can kill."

Addy could respect that. 

Addy spared with him for the rest of the day, finding him a better sword, remembering what Father Samuel had told her about sword balance. He was noticeably better by the end, but she wasn't surprised when Samuel sorted him into the beginner's group.

"While you'll start in different groups." Father Samuel explained as he separated them, "By the end of Winter I expect you to all be in the same group. Nobody will have it easier than any other, and if you can't keep up I won't wait for you. Be warned, if you're slowing down the group you'll be finding a different trainer."

Addy had been put into the advanced group, which had made her preen. She had seen some of the other fighters in the group and they had been very good. There had been a very tiny girl with dark brown skin, short hair and a hoop through her nose who was deadly with just about any kind of blade in her hand; and a tall skinny ginger boy who looked innocent enough but could barrage through a dozen men with a sword and shield in his hands. 

"Why are they here?" She asked Father Samuel one day over dinner, "They're already pretty amazing."

He shrugged, ripping more meat off the mystery bone he was eating off of, "Most have their reasons. Some want recommendations before they join the army. A good recommendation can give them good postings. They want to fight the legion, not freeze their ass off in some abandoned Garrison in Northrend."

Addy gave him a wide smile, "Will I get a good recommendation?" She asked teasingly.

He snorted, "Too mouthy. You'd be awful in the Army. Can't follow orders for shit."

"Gryan always said I'd be terrible in the army." She pointed out, only wincing a little bit when she said his name.

"He's right." Father Samuel chuckled. "You wouldn't last a day."

"You're giving me too much credit." 

The training routine was brutal, but she was used to it. Running through forests and over uneven terrain was different than running over even, well kept cobblestones, but she adapted easily and was able to keep up readily. Group sparring was...different. She had a new partner every day, which was different then fighting a single person. She knew Father Samuel, his moves, his weaknesses, how he feints and dodges. Every day she had to learn how each person fought - some she won, some she lost - most she lost actually. Samuel seemed to find some sort of sick joy out of pairing her with the best and baddest of the lot.

They trained one-on-one once or twice a week, in private away from prying eyes. Most of the group knew she was his apprentice, and most didn't give her a hard time about it - they all had their reasons for being there and as long as they got what they needed they didn't pay her much attention.

Two weeks in she got her first letter.

Father Samuel came back to their tent that night holding a small handful of parchment and scrolls. He tossed her one, startling her. She barely caught it, juggling it a bit before it settled and she stared at it in surprise.

"What's this?" Addy frowned, studying. It wasn't anything fancy, basic parchment with a hemp sting and sealed with blue wax. 

Samuel shrugged, opening his own papers, "Mail. Picked it up for you."

"Mail?" Addy wrinkled her nose, "Who'd be sending me...." She trailed off as a thought came to mind and she ripped the letter open, the wax crumbling and falling to the floor as she scanned over the unfamiliar scribbles. She saw her name at the top, but her eyes travelled to the bottom to see the signature.

There wasn't one, instead there were just two letters. A.W.

She felt her lip curling up a bit before she could stop herself. She'd told him briefly that she knew her alphabet, but she didn't think he'd remember something like that. But she still couldn't read the letter. 

"Who's it from?" Samuel asked.

Addy flushed, quickly rolling the letter up and tossing it into her bag, "No one. Doesn't matter."

He raised an eyebrow, looking amused at her flustered attitude, but just shrugged going back to his own letters.

***

They were running with weights after that, large sand bags handing from rods they carried with them. Addy hated every moment of it, but Father Samuel assured her that it was to increase her endurance. Plus he promised they'd start working with the light soon enough, and strengthening her connection too it. So she endured.

It was after New Years that the second letter came. They could see the fireworks from the Abby and they all stayed up later to watch them burst in colours across the skies. The last time she'd seen them she'd been at Sentinel hill, travelling from her home to spend the night with Gryan and James. 

She gritted her teeth, not allowing old memories to ruin the night. Half the camp was drunk, the other half was on their way. Even Father Samuel was laughing loudly with some members of the Abbey, looking shockingly out of place with his tight leather and bright red dreadlocks falling straight to his waist. But he seemed right at home with the different members of the church.

The next day he was no less brutal on them, looking far too pleased when they showed up wrecked and hungover the following morning. By the end of the day at least ten people had thrown up, and dozens more looked far too green in the face.

Soon after Samuel returned with another letter for her. She opened it, although she wasn't sure why. She knew who it was from and she couldn't read it, but she still looked over the scribbled words, her eyes drinking in a initials at the bottom with a smile.

"Is that your lover?"

Addy sputtered, crumpling the letter in her hand. "Excuse me?" She squeaked.

Samuel nodded at her letter, ripping a piece of salt pork with his teeth, "Your letter. You're blushing."

"I am not." She scoffed. "And no, it's just a friend. Someone I met in Stormwind."

Samuel shrugged, "Alright."

She let out a breathe. Sometimes she was glad that Samuel had little interest in her personal life. If Gryan had been her he wouldn't have stopped hounding her until she told him or he ripped the letter from her hands.

Addy sighed, smoothing out the crumpled paper and tossing it into her pack.

***  
"Did you hear about Winter's Veil." Ivy Mckinley gushed one morning, sitting by the fire next to the small group of women Addy had taken to eating with. Inwardly she groaned and started to shovel her porridge into her mouth quicker.

Vindi, the short haired girl, grimace as well, looking just as awkward to be standing there - but the third girl in their group Beatrice, leaned forward in excitement.

"Oh! I wish I could have gone!" She gushed, "I've been trying to snag an invite for years. my Uncle is senior assistant to Lord Hatherly you know."

Addy zoned out afterwards, feeling a bit awkward. She supposed that she should have been honoured to be invited to the Winter's Veil ball, even if it had been a scattered last minute invite. She felt a bit warm in the cheeks when she thought about it. 

"Did you hear about the prince?"

Addy suddenly zoomed back into the present and her head snapped up, "What?"

Ivy giggled, looking far less deadly than she had at practice the day before, "I heard the Prince didn't attend with Princess Greymane this year."

Vindi raised a single eyebrow, then shrugged, going back to her meal. Addy relaxed, "Well she went to visit family in Darnassus, right?"

"She did?" Beatrice blinked, tilting her head.

Addy panicked for a moment - was that not common knowledge?

"Er..." She flushed, trying to look nonchalant, "I...heard it somewhere."

"That would make sense I guess." Ivy tilted her head, before a large grin crossed her face, "I heard he attended with Lady Margaret!"

Vindi snorted unattractively, "Who cares." She spoke with a mouth full of food.

"Maybe it means something?" Beatrice pointed out, "He's never gone with any girl but the Princess, and god knows they aren't going to get married."

"Why not?" Addy asked.

Beatrice gave her a strange look, "Because she likes women of course."

"Oh." Addy frowned, "Of course." Had she been the only person on the planet who hadn't known this?

Ivy shook her head, "Either way - Lady Margaret is beautiful - blond hair, green eyes. Perfect figure. They'd make such a good couple."

Addy felt a twinge in her stomach and she knew her face was pinched. She felt a strange sort of anger in her gut, kindled with a vindictiveness knowing that he'd asked her before the beautiful Lady Margaret.

Addy froze. Oh light no...

She was jealous.

No. No she wasn't jealous of some stupid bint she'd never met in her life. She didn't care if she had beautiful hair, which was probably long and shiny and not choppily cut and half burnt from demon fire. Or if her skin was probably pristine and perfect unlike the mangled monstrosity that was her neck and jaw.

Addy groaned inwardly, dropping her spoon back into her porridge. She wasn't hungry anyways.

 

***

Addy watched from the centre of the makeshift arena as Samuel walked around, tossing various weapons on the around, axes, hammers, staves and daggers. Finally he grabbed the sword that she had taken to calling her own. He went and tossed it on the ground near the edge of the arena, behind him.

Addy raised an eyebrow, watching his movements carefully. She knew that at any second he could pounce on her like a cat.

Just as she suspected, he brought his own sword up, signalling his intent to start the fight. Addy swallowed, eyeing her sword behind him on the floor.

He charged, swinging his sword and Addy dodge right, tucking into a summersault before coming back to her feet, quickening running around the edge of the arena. Samuel shifted easily, slicing his sword down in front of her, cutting off her path. She lurched backwards, quickly spinning to move out of his grasp. 

Samuel was watching her as she edged around him, his eyes searching. Addy wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for, but she couldn't help but feeling that this was a test more than a training session.

She put on a burst of speed, running straight at him. At the last second she slid along the ground, hoping to go past him. But he was far quicker than her, grabbing the back of her pony tail and yanking her back - making her scream in pain. She immediately tried to kick his leg out, but Father Samuel just pulled her up and placed his sword at her throat.

"I thought I said to deal with this." Samuel chastised, pulling lightly on her ponytail. She winced, and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"I will." She grumbled.

"You'd better." Samuel pointed out, "It's a liability."

Addy glared, reaching up and grabbing a fistful of his dreads and yanking them down hard. At the same time she pushed his arm away from her neck, leaning back and yanking him over her back. He flipped over her and landed on his back in the dirt.

"It's a liability." She mocked. 

"Alright, Alright." He grunted, pulling himself to his feet, "Point made. Now back to the centre. We go again."

And they went again, and again, and again. Until Addy was bruised and tired and sore and not once could she make it past him. Every time he beat her down, tossing her back into the centre ring. Every few bouts he moved the position of her sword and the other weapons around them, before starting again.

"Okay stop." Addy held up her hand, breathing heavily as she bent over, trying to catch her breathe. "Obviously I'm not getting something."

"No, you're not." He agreed roughly, "Try again."

She sighed, annoyed. She looked at her sword, sticking straight up out of the dirt. Then she looked at him. It was an uneven fight, she needed to even the playing field.

Without waiting for him to start she rushed at him. Taking him by surprised she went shoulder first into his stomach, knocking him off his feet. Before he could catch his breath she knocked his sword out of his hand, sending it flying. 

She climbed off of his and ran for her sword.

A hand curled around her ankle and she yelped, flying face first into the ground. She groaned as her lip smashed into a rock and she knew it was going to be tender for days.

Samuel twisted and she felt the cold tip of a dagger against her throat.

"Damn." Addy grumbled, resting her head against the cold earth as she eyed the cold steel of the dagger, "Where'd you get that?"

Samuel raised an eyebrow and looked sideways. Addy frowned and looked at the dozen or so weapons he had scattered around the field between her and her sword.

She winced as she finally realized what the lesson had actually been about.

"You get it now." Father Samuel grunted, lifting himself to his feet.

Addy pursed her lips, climbing to her feet with a slight wince, touching her lip gently. "Yeah I get it."

Father Samuel picked up her sword, holding it out and tossing it, "You've lost your sword, now what? You could try and find it, but someone is trying to kill you. You need to find a weapon and fast - luckily, on a battlefield there's usually an abundance of them."

"I can't use most of these." Addy pointed out, "Staves are a magic user's weapon, but aren't much good against a sword. And I'm more likely to stab myself than an enemy with a dagger."

"Hammer and Maces." Father Samuel continued, "The Hammer is a well known paladin weapon, but most useful in the hands of larger beings than you. You couldn't wield one large enough to do any damage, but a spiked mace can do a hell of a lot of damage."

Addy looked around and noted the number of maces around. She realized he was right - Most maces weren't too much heavier than a sword, just much shorter with a different balance.

She reached down and picked one up, swinging it a few times to get the hang of it.

"Dagger's are tricker." Samuel nodded, "But sometimes you don't get a choice. A stave won't do much damage, but I can tell you getting whacked in the head with one can disorientate you. The point is to survive long enough to find your sword. Or to get somewhere safe."

Addy swallowed, looking around the arena feeling a bit dejected. She'd failed his stupid test and she couldn't help but feel bitter and angry with herself.

She reached forward and grabbed a large two handed war axe. She grunted a bit, not expecting the weight. It was strangely balanced compared to her sword - a very heavy top that threatened to push her off balance.

Samuel smirked, and once again raised his sword. Addy swallowed, spotting her sword across the arena. She just needed to survive long enough to reach it.

She raised the axe, trying to look more confident then she felt.

And then she charged

***

A week later he started her light training.

Addy was nearly vibrating with excitement. She had been waiting to learn how to fight with the light for ages. She had been at Northshire for two months now and she'd progressed greatly. She could say without modesty that she was probably the best swordsman of the bunch. She was alright with axes and hammers - daggers were a no-go with her and she'd hit herself more with the staves more times than she could count.

Samuel had them fighting against people with different weapons proficiencies - she fought against Vindi with her deadly daggers, trying to keep her from getting close enough to kill her. She fought against Joseph, who had taken up a large hammer which he was much better with than a sword. With him she'd learned how to properly dodge a heavy blow that could crush her skull easily. She even fought against a mage whose fireball display had been extremely impressive.

She knew that Father Samuel was preparing them for battle - for situations where they might not know what exactly they would be fighting. Having them team up in every conceivable way. Two on two, one on three, five on five. He'd created mock battles and skirmishes and slowly over time their group grew bigger as the men and women from the beginners group graduated. 

She was the only one training with the light however. The others would need to find their own trainers for various means. Vindi had been seen speaking with a representative of SI:7 in the stables, most were in talks with recruiters for the army. She saw some talking to priests and others speaking with Archmages. She seemed to be the only Paladin in training.

"The first thing I'll show you is a very simple spell." Samuel started, "But your most important."

He raised his sword and swung it. Without hesitating Addy swung her own up to catch it, sliding to his hilt and pulling to yank his sword out of its blow. 

He pulled back after that. He stared at her for a few moments as if contemplating. Addy furrowed her eyebrows, watching him curiously. What was he doing?

Then he attacked again - the same blow, from the same direction.

Addy raised her sword to block it, misdirecting the blow in the same way. But once his blade hit hers she immediately knew something was different.

She felt her feet slid back in the dirt at the force of the blow. She gasped as she felt her feet give way and she was suddenly flying back. She landed in the dirt with a loud thump and for a moment she couldn't breathe. She rolled to her side, taking in deep breathes as she held a hand to her chest.

"Fighting another human is one thing." Father Samuel walked over, holding a hand out for her, "Fighting a Blood Elf, or a Goblin or even smaller demons is one thing. Fighting against an Orc...or a Troll, or a Doomguard?" He yanked her to her feet, "They are stronger than you - they will always be stronger. Their blows are stronger too."

"How did you do that?" Addy bent over, holding her hands on her knees.

He smirked, holding up his sword. As she stared at it she noticed a faint shimmering on the weapons - like small veins of gold sparkling throughout the iron.

"Ask the Light for strength." Father Samuel explained, "Imbue it into your weapon - into your blow."

Addy felt stupid for a moment. She knew that - it was one of the few things Gryan had taught her. It was what she had been trying to do when she'd attacked the Pit Lord back at Sentinel Hill. But the sheer amount of power he'd pushed into it had surprised her. She'd never been able to call on that much power before.

"How?" Addy asked him.

Father Samuel smirked. "Close your eyes."

Addy didn't think closing her eyes in the middle of battle would be a great idea, but she did as she was told, letting her eyes fall shut.

"Find the light."

Addy could do that easily. She was always somewhat aware of the bubbling light within her chest - feeling like it was a warm bubble around her heart. She immediately located it and felt the warmth grow out to her entire body. She felt herself smile despite herself.

"Good." Father Samuel spoke. "Now pull on it and try to focus it into your hands...your weapon."

Addy didn't as she was told - it wasn't anything new for her. She pulled until there was nothing left tp pull, pushing it into her sword which suddenly felt lighter than a dagger.

"You stopped."

Addy frowned, fighting the urge to open her eyes, "There's nothing left."

"There's always something left." Samuel spoke softly, "The light resides in your but isn't a part of you. How much you can use depends on your strength and will."

Addy wanted to argue. She knew her own body and she knew how much she could pull. There was nothing left! 

But she huffed instead and reached back inside of her, looking for more light. True to her word there wasn't anything left - it had all gathered into her weapon and hands, preparing for a devastating blow.

She bit back her annoyance, but decided 'screw it'. She reached into the space where her light had resided and pulled.

To her surprise, more light came. She paused for a moment, but then pulled the light, pushing more and more of it into her blow. She felt elated, her heart racing with sheer excitement at the amount of power she could feel flowing underneath her veins. She had never felt anything like it before - her skin was tingling like there were bugs crawling all over her and her entire body felt charged with lightning.

She opened her eyes, and swung her blade.

Father Samuel raised his sword to block, but it was no use. The last thing she saw as his eyes widening in surprise as a blinding burst of light exploded from her sword and he was sent flipping through the air.

Addy gasped in shock and a burst of worry filtered through her - but that was the last thing she felt before darkness covered her eyes and the ground came rushing up to meet her.

***

"Perhaps I should I have spoken about restraint a bit first."

Addy turned her head on her cot in the medical tent. Laying in the bed next to her was Father Samuel. He'd had a shattered arm and a few broken ribs before they'd healed him. She felt incredibly guilty, but another part of her felt pride. She'd done that! Shattered the arm of a man three times her size!

"Don't look so smug." Samuel scoffed, "You won't feel so prideful when you pass out in the field of battle"

"Still." Addy smirked, leaning back into her pillow, "I was pretty good."

"You had much more...control than I expected." Samuel conceded, "If not a bit overzealous."

He took time after that to help her control the flow of the light. How to use what her body possessed and how to call upon more from....well wherever it came from. She quickly learned how much was needed for various blows of various strengths - getting used to the flowing of energy until it came second nature to her. 

She could now pull on the light without pause, going from one blow to the next. Deciding when she needed it and when she didn't as to not tired too quickly. Father Samuel seemed pleased that she had picked up on so fast and only a few weeks later he had started on more aggressive attacks.

He taught her how to form the light into a single burst of power, sending it flying at the enemy. How to cause the ground to erupt underneath them, shields that could protect from spells and weapons. He showed her how to use her light to find hidden traps and spies. How to confuse the mind and clear your own, how to stop others from casting on her and how to burn poisons from her blood. She'd been sick for days as she learned the last one, being poisoned over and over as she practiced healing herself from them. He taught her how to create a light so startling that it blinded everyone who looked at it. Poor Joseph had been in the medical tent for three days as they healed his eyes when he'd happened to see her practicing that one. 

And then one day it happened.

She was sparing with Father Samuel, twisting and turning. Jumping to avoid his spells and turning to send a blast of her own. She blinded him and he healed himself, he made the ground collapse under her and she twisted, delivering a blow with her light enhanced weapon. He toss up a shield that her sword bounced off of and she sent blow after blow, slamming her sword onto the shield until it broke. Then she sent a single burst of light, distracting him long enough to drop low and kick his ankles out from under him. Twisting she landed on top of him, pressing her sword to his throat and holding her hand above him - a pulsing ball of pure light waiting in her hand - ready to be thrown at him - delivering the killing blow.

They froze like that, both of them looking surprised. Addy had never beat him before - not in single combat, and he was well and truly trapped.

Without another word he let out a deep chuckle, "Well done."

Addy pulled the light back inside and took her sword off of his neck. She still felt exhausted - using the light so much tired her out far too quickly, but Father Samuel said that that would fade with time.

"Congratulations." Father Samuel spoke and she pulled him to her feet.

"I only beat you once." Addy chuckled.

He raised an eyebrow, "There's a reason I come here to train people every winter, Adeile. There are fully trained and battle hardened warriors who've never once beat me in single combat. Don't be so quick to dismiss your accomplishments."

Addy looked down, flushing in pride. 

"You've learned quickly." Father Samuel grabbed his weapon, turning back to face her and entering into a battle stance, "But there's always room for improvement."

And once again - he lunged.

***

Addy received a number of letters, every single one of them with the same flowing initials at the bottom of the page. Every time she got one she smiled, opened them and scanned her eyes over the strange foreign letters like maybe if she stared at them long enough they would start to make sense. In her brain she started to make up stories and messages that all sounded like they could be plausible.

Hi Addy, spent another day in the library, I must've read every book in here by now...

Hey Addy, Nothing new to report. Spent some time in our crystal cave - it's a bit slippery but I haven't fallen to my death yet!

Hello Addy! The cold weather's been making my joints a bit stiff, my knee's been hurting something awful...

Addy frowned. Her grandfather had a lovely herbal recipe for a tea that used to sooth his joints - it was made of peacebloom and was cheap and easy to make. She wondered if he knew about it. Maybe she should send it to him...

She shook her head. She was being ridiculous! She didn't even know if his knee was actually hurting him! She didn't know what he'd been up to at all expect that he seemed to have an abundance of time to write to her.

Addy leaned back against the wall of her tent, huffing. She supposed it was as easy as finding a scribe to read her letters - there were plenty of them, and most of the local priests could read just fine. But she didn't want to share them with anybody. Partly because she didn't want it getting out that she was possibly friends with the Crown Prince (and might be getting preferential treatment), but mostly because....well their conversations had always been private. She didn't want to betray his trust by showing someone something that could be potentially damning. And what if he said something embarrassing about her? The last thing she needed was Father Samuel finding something out about her like that - she'd never hear the end of it.

She huffed again and launched herself off her cot. She needed a stranger - someone she could trust not to blab anything. Someone who didn't answer to the church or the crown like priests or scribes.

A though came to her mind and she started to make her way from the tent. She scanned the snow covered ground, pulling her warm cloak further around herself to keep out the cold. Daily training had finished over an hour ago, but people were still milling around - some chatting, others practicing. Most had returned to the warmth of the charmed tents, and some were huddled around the fire, warming their hands and toes. She scanned the courtyard until she found who she was looking for.

"Joseph" She called, running over to the man she'd fought that first day of training at the Abbey.

The man turned around, holding a large war hammer which suited him much better than the sword he'd been using before. He nodded as he saw her, giving her a small grin. 

"Addy." He greeted, reaching out to shake her hand. Her whole arm shook with it and she grunted a bit, wincing as she held her arm, "How are you doing today?"

"Good." She nodded, "Good. I, er- I wanted to ask you a question."

He shrugged, smiling at her good natured, "Sure. How can I help?"

"Can you read?"

He seemed startled by the question, but then shrugged, nodding his head, "Yeah. I mean - my father taught me when I was a kid. My mother thought he was crazy but well.." He sighed, looking fond. "Why do you ask?"

She quickly explained her predicament, not looking him in the eyes as she muttered bitterly about her stash of letters. He listened kindly, but looked a bit confused.

"Why not ask the scribes?" He asked, curiously. "They're always discreet."

"Er- Well..." Addy shifted from foot to foot, "It's not the contents so much as it is...who they're from?"

He gave her a hesitant look, "I'm not about to commit a crime, am I?"

"No!" Addy blinked in surprise, "No, no. Nothing like that. I just....well." She cleared her throat, "I just don't want it getting out who I'm talking with. For...personal reasons."

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, "Alright. Fine, sure. As long as you're not committing treason or something, I suppose I could help out."

Addy beamed, grabbing his hand and yanking him back towards her tent, "Thank you! Let's go!"

***

She handed him the first one.

He took it gingerly and gave her a small frown. With one last dubious glance he opened it and quickly scanned it.

He dropped it like it burnt him.

"T-That's-" He pointed at it aggressively, "From the bloody Prince!" He hissed the last words in a whisper.

"Shh!" Addy snapped at him, "That's what I was talking about okay? Don't freak out. We're friends is all, and I don't want people knowing that because then-"

"They might think you get special treatment?" Joseph looked unconvinced, "Last I checked you're still in the same shit tents as the rest of us, running the same shit laps and doing the same shit drills all day."

"All the same." Addy snapped, "It's not something I want getting out."

"Alright, Alright." Jospeh shook his head, looking a bit stressed, "Fine okay."

"What's it say?"

He looked over it again, "He's talking about the Ball - He attended with Lady Margaret, apparently because she was taken already in all but name and therefore wouldn't cause any fuss."

"That sounds like him." Addy chuckled, feeling a bit better knowing Lady Margaret was taken. "Anything else?"

"Er...." He looked a bit nervous, looking between her and the letter, "Are you sure I'm supposed to be reading this?"

"Why?"

"Well....his father...the bloody King, oh light. Well his father is recalling troops from...well, pretty much everywhere it looks like."

"Hmmm." Addy nodded. It made sense. They needed to replenish their forces and quickly. It hardly seemed that the Legion would attack Northrend or Pandaria. They'd focus on the large cities and greater population centres.

He moved onto the next letter. He read it before shaking his head.

"I'm going to be arrested for this." Joseph groaned, but continued anyways, "He wishes you a Happy New Year. Is suspicious of Tess....Princess Tess? Actually, I don't want to know. And they're looking for the 'source of the invasion' with Khadgar and Lady Proudmoore. And...." He dropped the letter and hissed at her, "Working with the Horde!"

"Shhhh." Addy smacked his arm, looking around, "It's not like that."

"Fine! Fine." He continued going through the letters, "Okay this one says they think the portal is in the great sea near Pandaria. Also he's worried his father has a grey hair."

Addy smiled fondly at that, but felt a lurch of hope. Had they found the portal? How long ago had he sent that letter?

"The king is sending Shaw on a secret mission. I don't know who Shaw is."

"I do." Addy grumbled. She still wasn't particularly fond of the man after their one and only meeting.

Joseph gave her a strange look and continued on.

"And this one...Oh."

Addy poked her head up, "Oh? Oh what?"

"It's his birthday." He pointed at the letter, "I forgot about that. There's always a big party. "

Addy chuckled, "Oh I bet he hates that. What else did he say?"

"Er- Tirion Fordring might be coming to Stormwind, he seems pretty excited about that. Oh and I think he misses you."

Addy paused for a moment, trying to keep a blush off her face. Most people got presents on their birthday, didn't they? She'd never gotten any from her grandfather, mostly because he was usually too drunk to remember. Gryan would sometimes sneak extra supplies into her bundles when she wasn't looking around her birthday, but she usually tried to return them in an equally sneaky way.

"I should get him something." She declared out loud.

Joseph snorted, "Like what?"

"I-I dunno. hat do people usually give?" Addy asked.

"Depends on the person. Something related to hobby's or interests. Jewelry, fine swords and weapons maybe. Or a card."

"A card?" She asked.

He shrugged, "Sure. Some people think it's cheap. But writing a nice birthday greeting can be a bit more personal than a gift - plus I bet he gets loads of gifts."

Addy nodded, an idea slowly entering her head, "Yeah, Yeah I'll write him a card."

"Good idea." He pointed at her, before snatching a blank piece of parchment from the stack on Samuel's bedside, "What do you want it to say?"

"No." Addy reached forward, snatching the parchment, "I want to write it."

He paused for a moment, before a large grin crossed his face, "That sounds like a perfect idea."

He spent the next few hours showing her the letter's for Happy Birthday. She wasn't very good at it - her 'y's' were always backwards and her hands shook tremendously as she wrote. But he seemed to have an unending amount of patience, helping her until she got it right. Addy supposed on another life he would have been a fantastic father.

"It's cause the muscles in your hand are undeveloped." He explained as he helped steady her hand again, "The more you write the more smooth it'll become."

Not long after she had written something that was somewhat passable - it looked like she just had bad penmanship rather than being completely illiterate. She beamed at it, feeling a burst of pride in her chest. She'd written something! She written a letter all by herself! She beamed and rolled up the scroll, tossing a quick thank you towards Joseph before quickly running towards the small tent that housed the mail courier.

***  
The snow was melting on her final day at Northshire.

She hadn't gotten a message back from Anduin yet, but she checked the mail every day. Joseph promised to help her write back after every one now. She was excited to show off every letter she learned to Anduin. 

The day had started out normal. They ran laps around the Abbey, started up several mock skirmishes and had moved onto hand to hand combat. 

Addy noticed the unease around the camp quickly. People were running around and shouting orders. She paused in her fight, looking around confused. It only took a few seconds for everyone else to notice. Father Samuel paused where he was, moving around and helping people correct their stances. He was staring at the Abbey with a frown.

Addy watched him run towards the Abbey, grabbing a Priest and asking questions with hushed voiced. It took only a moment and he was hurrying back with large determined steps.

"What's going on?" Addy asked, catching up with him before he joined the rest of the group.

He looked at her with dark, sad eyes and Addy felt a burst of worry in her chest and he moved to look at the group in front of him.

"There's been another attack." He spoke to entire crowd of now more than two hundred people, "The King is placing a Call for Arms. Any man or woman who can hold a sword is being called to defend the Alliance."

Addy sucked in breath through her teeth, her eyes scanning the horizon with wide eyes as she tried to spot the familiar site of the green portal and the single black ship.

"Stormwind?" She asked, her voice breathless. She thought about Anduin. He couldn't fight. He could barely use a sword. Against a demon warrior? He was defenceless. 

"No."

Addy paused, blinking in confusion as she turned to glance back at Samuel. It had to be Stormwind! It made the most sense...it was what they had been preparing for. Where all their troops were...their army.

"Where are they?" She asked, feeling like they'd once again been duped by the Legion.

Father Samuel looked like he'd swallowed a lemon as he seemed to understand the same thing.

"Ironforge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This entire chapter was basically a training montage in written form, and was kind of a bitch to write. No Anduin this chapter, but I hope having a long chapter makes up for it! 
> 
> You guys have been so amazing! I'm happy that so many people seem to be reading this. Your reviews and comments make my day!
> 
> If you're looking for some more WoW content, check out my tumblr blog anduinnwrynn (prev. medvh), where I occasionally post updates on my writing and other things.
> 
> Feel free to drop by reviews with any comments, concerns, or questions! 
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	19. Interlude: Letters from Home

Addy,

The ball went fine. I ended up attending with Lady Margaret, she's in love with Lord Farley so I didn't have to worry about her throwing herself at me. Although I did have to make due with the glares Lord Farley send me most of the night. The whole event was miserable, and it's surprising how easily people can forget about the coming war. 

My father was pull troops out of Draenor, Outland, and Northrend. We're basically leaving ghost crew at all non essential bases. 

It seems suspicious that the Legion is giving us so much time to prepare...

-AW

***

Addy,

Happy New Year! I hope you had time to celebrate in Northshire. The fireworks here were so impressive I'm sure you might have seen them from there. 

Tess came back from Teldrassil looking surprisingly tanned. I'm not certain I believe that she visited her mother...

We think we're getting closer to finding the source of the invasion. Archmage Khadgar and Jaina have been working non-stop. Father says the Horde has the Sunreavers doing the same, but don' tell Jaina that. She still refuses to let them back into Dalaran.

Tyrande thinks she might have a lead as well, but she's being surprisingly tight lipped about it.

-AW

***

Addy,

My father is worried. He tries to hide it but yesterday I found a grey hair. 

They think the portal is somewhere in the Great Sea, maybe near Pandaria. Lady Tyrande mentioned that there are several isolated islands in the area which are remnants from a time before the sundering, and are largely uninhabited. Khadgar said they look promising.

I hope you've survived the burst of bad weather. We got hit with a cold snap from the sea and the entire city froze for a week. Ask Father Samuel about using the light to create a small heat well - it's incredibly useful!

-AW

***

Addy,

My Father is sending Shaw on a secret mission. He won't tell me about it, saying the less people who know, the better. I suppose I'm bitter. I know I'm young, but I'm not a child anymore. I wish he'd let me help more. I tried getting it out of Tess, but she won't budge. 

I hope you're coming home soon. 

-AW  
***

Addy,

I hope your training is going well. You've been gone so long I expect you'll be near fully trained when you come back

It's my birthday next week. Everyone's expecting a big party, but I honestly couldn't be bothered. My father keeps getting all teary eye'd and mumbling about me 'growing up'. Tess has been teasing me relentlessly. 

Shaw's mission was postponed, I'm still not sure why but I've seen Tyrande having hushed conversations with Genn and my Father. From what I've heard from my...secret listening, it involves a very hush hush Kal'Dorei location. I would've heard more but my father noticed me and kicked me out.

I've heard Tirion Fordring might be coming to Stormwind. I haven't seen him since I was a child. I hope to get the chance to speak with him.

The snow's melting. I hope you're coming home soon. 

-AW

***

Happy Birthday

***

Addy,

Thank you for your message. It meant a lot more than most did. Did you write it yourself? Are you learning? My offer to teach you is alway available.

Khadgar and Jaina have reported some unusual portal activity near Stormwind and Westfall. We haven't told anyone, we don' wan to cause a panic. I think there might be another attack soon, one on the city itself.

Maybe it'll be safer if you stay where you are...for the time being...

-AW


	20. The Battle of Dun Morogh

After that there was a scurry of activity. It felt very strange - everyone was rushing through the camp, grabbing armour, weapons, and trinkets. People helped others clip plate into place, sharpen sword and gather arrows and knives. Addy saw Vindi grab several bottles of poison, coating her daggers before sheathing them. Joseph was grinding his axe on a wheel, his eyes determined and burning. 

And it was silent.

There wasn't a single word being spoken as everyone worked. The rustle of chain mail and the sharp sound of metal against wet stone was the only thing that could he heard as everyone hustled about. It was a bit disconcerting, and such a sharp contrast to the loud, endless screaming that she remembered from the attacks themselves.

"Here."

Addy jumped and turned to see Father Samuel approaching with an armful of plate.

"It's not much." He muttered, grabbing a breastplate, "But it should fit you."

Addy nodded, and turned, allowing him to fir it around her body, moving to secure the straps she couldn't reach. She quickly grabbed the arm bracers and started to secure them. She was glad she had gotten the expensive leather outfit which had straps and laces which snuggly held the armour again her chest and legs.

Her hair had been braided tightly against her head, twisted into a close bun at the nape of her neck. Once everything was in place Samuel handed her a helm. A simple iron helmet, looking well worn. She slipped it over her head and shook her head a bit, glad that it fit tightly and couldn't rattle her head too much.

"You good?" Samuel asked.

Addy nodded, "Yeah. I think so."

He reached behind him and pulled out a large scabbard with a sword inside of it, handing it to her, "Here, take this. It's about as good as I can get at such short notice. I was hoping to get the smith to make one for you, one that was well balanced for you and the right size."

Addy took it, cursing when she noticed her hand shaking a bit. She quickly grabbed the sword, hoping that Samuel hadn't noticed and tied it to her belt.

"How are we getting there?" She asked instead, changing the topic, "Gryphon?"

"No." Samuel scoffed, quickly working to put his own armour on. It was much nicer than Addy's, gleaming metal with gilded gold and silver and the carved sigil of the Silver Hand on his chest. It had nicks and dents in it and look obviously well loved. "Too slow. We're taking the tram."

Addy nodded and the two of them quickly walked to join the rest of the group. They were all just finishing getting ready as well - all were quiet with a few muttering prayers and other whispers under their breathe. Father Samuel walked in front of them.

"None of you are in the Stormwind Army." He spoke quickly, "This is not a civilian conscription - this is a call for arms. None of you have to come, and you have one last chance to back out - and nobody would blame you if you did." 

Nobody moved. A few people tightened their hands on their weapons, others shared grins and looks of bravo that Addy figured would soon be whipped form their faces. Even the men and women who looked terrified swallowed and held their ground

Addy supposed she was scared - her mind flying back to the attack on Sentinel Hill and she felt momentarily nauseous at the thought that many of the men and women in front of her would not be coming back.

But despite that there was an aura of excitement in the air. Addy was vibrating with it - she now had the chance to take the fight to the Legion. To repay them in kind for the damage they had wrought on them.

"Alright." Father Samuel smirked at them. He reached up and twisted his dreadlocks into a tight bun, then slipped his own helmet over her face. "Let's go then."

***

The tram ride was nerve racking. The train was packed with people heading to Ironforge, the returning track stuffed full of dwarves and Gnomes evacuating the city. Addy felt a bit out of place surrounded by the Stormwind army, dressed head to toe in matching shiny armour, with the blue and gold tabard and the blue horse hair plume sticking out the top. They were all deadly silent, looking forward and standing at attention.

Every now and then there was an adventurer in their mismatched armour, sharpening their weapons and leaning against the walls of the train. The group Addy was with was the largest of them, and she saw a few curious glances from the others along their carriage.

But true to Father Samuel's word, the train ride was short, a mere twenty minutes. She wasn't quite sure how it worked but when asking Father Samuel the paladin had simply muttered something about Gnomish engineering and then ignored her. As she watched the tunnel zoom past them in a blur it occurred to her that maybe she didn't want to know how fast they were going.

"This tram line is why they're attacking Ironforge." Father Samuel explained to her as they travelled, "It's a direct link to Stormwind, and is also the main evacuation route for both cities. If Stormwind should be attacked, the majority of the people would escape through these tunnels towards Ironforge - after which they would collapsed the tunnels, and break the glass tubes. If Ironforge falls, then the people of Stormwind have nowhere to go should the Legion Attack."

Addy thought about the tunnels that Anduin had dragged her through, trying not to think about the warmth of his hand in hers and the mischievous grin he'd worn on his face. She knew that there was't enough boats tied up for the entire city - it was only meant for the nobles. Should the Legion attack the city, the people would be trapped.

They couldn't let Ironforge fall.

"Don't worry." Father Samuel gave her a grin that didn't reach his eyes, "Ironforge has never been taken. It's a point of pride for the Dwarves."

He didn't sound very sure.

They stoped sharply at the Ironforge station and quickly everyone vacated the tram. The soldiers immediately ran off to their pre assigned locations. Addy paused, looking at Father Samuel for instruction.

"We'll head up top, luckily we've still got a perimeter around the city." Samuel told her, and she looked around, noticing a small groups of people around them. Some where from Northshire - others had just joined them, looking at Father Samuel as defacto leader, "I spoke with several of the men on the Tram - it seems the attack is focused in Kharanos, but theres smaller attacks over the entire of Dun Morogh. You're not soldiers, you don't have orders to follow. Let's just go out there and kill some demons, hm?"

There was a resounding shout of approval from everyone, and then the group dispersed.

Addy stayed with Father Samuel. She reached to grab her sword as they walked through the halls of the great Dwarven city. She stopped for a moment to gap at the great forge, the heat from the magma could be felt throughout the entire city - warming it despite the frozen dirt and rock the city was carved from. But she didn't fault in her steps, and followed Samuel to the large entrance.

The burst of cold from the snowy side of the mountain hit her face, and was a sharp contrast with the warmth of Ironforge. She was momentarily blinded by the bright whiteness in front of her and had to close her eyes, blinking rapidly while her eyes adjusted.

And then everything came into focus.

It was exactly the same as Westfall, a large swirling green portal had opened up in the skies above the mountains - the large black ship that had given them so many headaches was positions just underneath it, shooting off bursts of fire down below. She could see the black pods scattering the mountain, seemingly random, and hundreds of demons, thousands maybe.

Addy could clearly see the smaller town of Kharanos, which wasn't far from the base of the path to the city. The buildings were mostly made from stone, so they didn't burnt he same as the homes in Westfall, but the demons didn't seem deterred they smashed and crushed the underground buildings into the dirt. She could hear the screams of panic and fear and pain from where she stood and immediately pulled her sword from her sheath. She reached inwardly and felt for the light. She used enough to form a soft shield around herself and her skin started to shimmer with a bright golden light.

"Remember to pace yourself." Father Samuel pulled out his hammer, a large heavy metal beast that looked like it could crush a chest. 

Addy nodded, her eyes scanning the town until she spotted a Doomguard which several Dwarven guards were having troubled keeping at bay.

So she charged.

Not looking back, Addy reached out and sent out a burst of light which hit the Doomguard in the chest, causing him to leap back and screech as the light burned through his chest. With a single twist of her light enhanced weapon Addy took his head clear off.

She didn't stop to see if the two Dwarves were okay, she assumed they were on the move the same as her. There was small group of imps and she immediately dove into them.

She didn't pay much attention past that. She sliced and hacked and sent burst after burst of light. She'd been hit a few times on her own, a slice on her outer thigh, heavy bruises on her chest where blows had vibrated off her chest. At one point a hit from a very large Dreadlord knocked her helmet clean off her head, and she had lost it in the rubble.

She'd rolled away quickly, gapping her sword upwards and sinking it into his skull from under his chin. Then she'd rolled away, trying to stop the ringing in her ears.

She didn't see anyone she recognized around her, and she tried to ignore the dead bodies around her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a fiery green form coming towards her and she twisted, raising her hand to form a shield which the blow bounced off of causing the demon to fly back.

She gasp at the sight of a massive infernal. It towered over her, a swirling mass of rocks held together with fel magics, creating a large elemental beast. It quickly recovered and started towards her.

Addy immediately tossed up another shield, giving her enough time, to pour magic into her sword. She then held her ground until the infernal was right on top of her and stabbed her sword forward with all her might. The light seemed to part of the rocks like butter, and as soon as it was hilt deep the infernal erupted and fell to the ground in a pile of dull plain rocks. 

"Addy!"

Addy twisted and saw Father Samuel walking towards her. He tossed something at her and she frowned, her eyes going in and out of focus. "What is this?"  
"Drink it." He snapped.

Addy pulled the cork out of the top and down it, coughing a bit at the strong taste of cold mint as she travelled down her chest - but only a few moments later she was starting to feel a bit better and energy coursed through her bones.

"Mana Potion." Samuel grunted, "Important to have on you for times like that. infernals are nasty to take down."

Addy realized with a warmth in her chest that he'd been keeping an eye on her while they fought. She gave him a quick nod, and quickly refreshed her shield and allowed her light to flow free. 

As she looked around and realized that they'd barely even scratched the surface of the demons in Kharanos. They seemed to be swarming here, no doubt grouping up to take on the entrance of Ironforge.

"We can't let them get into the city." Samuel narrowed his eyes. "I'll go speak to the commander's, we need more men pushing the army back." He pointed behind him, "They've collapsed the Inn, clear some of the rubble and see if anyone's trapped in there."

Addy nodded, then quickly ran over towards the inn. She made quick work of the demons around it, and was joined by a mage who seemed to notice what she was doing and started to help out. The female mage with short brown hair and a long heavy purple robe covered in runes and chains shot blast after blast at the demons around her, breathing heavily and sweat dripping down her forehead.

"Go on!" The stranger shouted, creating a large arcane barrier that kept the demons at bay.

Addy wasted no time. She pulled as many of the boulders away from the entrance as she could. "Stay back!" She shouted, hoping that anyone on the other side could hear her. She took a few steps back and reached inside her. She pulled light into her hand and sent a massive blast towards the door. The Large boulders cracked and she was easily able to yank the remainders out.

Out of the debris a handful of people, a mixture of dwarves and gnomes, came running out of the wreckage. They were covered in dirt and ash and seemed frightened. 

"Come on!" Addy shouted, waving her hands, "Head towards the city!"

They started to scurry out, all still protected by the Arcane barrier. They were met by a handful of Ironforge guards who ushered them up the path to the city.

Addy turned to the Mage, "I'm going to make sure it's clear."

She didn't stop to see if the woman had responded before crawling into the inn. She rushed down the stairs and into the lowered bar. Half the room was on fire and the smoke made her eyes water. She rushed through the inn, checking all the rooms and the basement as fast as she could. As soon as she had determined it was empty she ran out, pushing the boulders back into place so no one would enter.

She turned to the mage, "All cle-"

A long javelin pierced through the arcane shield and embedded itself into the mages chest. The woman gurgled, the shield surrounding them shattered and Addy ran forward to grab the woman.

She quickly yanked the spear out of her chest, trying to ignore the blood rushing out. Immediately she raised her hand over the wound and started to heal it.

The mage reached up and grabbed her hand, "S-Stop."

"Shut up." Addy snapped, continuing to heal, "You'll be fine."

As soon as she spoke she felt a tingle in the back of her neck. She ducked and felt something swipe where her head had been a moment before. Gasping she twisted into the dirt, grabbing her sword and raising it to block another blow from a Terror Fiend. She used all of her strength to keep the axe from impaling itself in her chest. She twisted her head to look at the Mage, and her eyes widened as she saw the blood rushing from her chest.

"No!" Addy screamed, pushing outward with the light. She sliced forward with her sword, ripping across the demon's chest, then twisted around it and sunk her sword into it's back.

She rushed forward to heal the Mage, but another demon took the place of the one she'd just killed. Addy went sprawling back into the snow and felt a burst of panic reminiscent of the attack of Westfall. She let out a sob as she brought her sword up to parry an attack, sending a burst of light. But for every demon she killed another replaced it. She hacked and slashed and blasted one after another. She just needed a moment so she could heal the mage. She was going to die! 

She felt a blast of magic hit her chest and she went flying back with a gasp into the snow. She felt her ribs crack and screamed, turning and crawling to her feet.

A Dread Lord crept up to her and she reached for her sword, holding it up.

He laughed at her and Addy felt her face flush red with anger. "Tiny human."

Addy snarled, and pushed light into her weapon, swinging it so slice at him. He reached forward and grabbed her blade, making her eyes widen. He ripped it from her hand and tossed it aside.

"Your light is no match for the power of the legion." The Dread Lord snarled, and he surged forward, his clawed hand read to rip her apart.

Then a beam of light erupted across Kharanos. 

Addy shielded her eyes and then gasped as the sheer power from it forced her further into the ground. She could hear shrieks of pain and terror and through the painfully blinding light she saw the Dread Lord in front of her burst apart into dust...no, Ash.

As soon as the light faded she blinked rapidly, turning to look for the source of the incredible power There was a large black spot in the middle of her vision and she struggled to dispel it as she struggled to her feet.

Addy turned and saw a large group of fighters, beating back the demons from the entrance to Ironforge. They all seemed to be glowing with light and the entire group had energy about them. In the centre stood a man with white hair under a shiny golden helm. In his hand he held a large sword carved with runes she didn't understand. The hilt was wrapped in thick red leather and gilded with gold and there was a golden disc carved with more runes and a sigil of a single open palmed hand, all glowing with a bright light.

"Argent Crusade!" The man shouted, and instantly the entire battlefield seemed to burst with hope and energy. Addy felt her panic started to fade away, and slowly started to crawl back to her feet. "Attack!"

The men and women behind him charged, slicing and forcing their way through the demons easily.

Father Samuel wandered over to Addy, helping her to her feet, "The Agent Crusade!" He cheered, looking excited. 

Addy realized the man with the sword must've been Tirion Fordring, and the sword must've been the famous Ashbringer. She watched him as he fought, feeling a weird sort of tingle in her chest as she watched the pure power of the Light coming from the blade. She was so dazed by it that she had to force herself out of the moment and back into reality.

She gasped, looking around and running over to the mage laying in the dirt. She was soaked in blood and was deadly pale.

"No," Addy cursed and placed her hands over her chest, healing her. She pulled as much of the light as she could without passing out and forced it out into the woman. "Damn it!"

The wounds weren't closing, no matter how much she tried, how much light she forced through, the woman wasn't healing. For a moment Addy thought she might be dead, but there was still a rattling breath coming form her chest.

"Come on!"

"Let me help."

A moment later another set of hands was over the mage's chest, and a burst of light came through. Soon enough the woman's bleeding stopped and her wounds very quickly started to close. Only a few seconds later there wasn't a scratch on her, but she was still unconscious. The Light couldn't replace the blood that had already been lost.

"Take her to the camp up by the entrance." The man who'd helped her spoke quickly, before turning to leave.

Addy looked up to thank him, only for her breathe to catch in her throat. It was Tirion Fordring. The man barely spared her another glance before he rushed out into the fray, killing more demons as she sat there, gapping like a moron.

Tirion looked back at her, "Go girl!"

Addy shook herself out of it, reaching to pick up the slim girl. She quickly began to rush up the hill. She handed her off to a solider, who thanked her and made his way back into the city. Addy watched them go until they disappeared into the mountain.

There was a shudder on the ground and Addy nearly stumbled as the earth started to shake. A nearby solider steadied her and she looked back towards the town. Again the earth shook and she gasped as everyone felt to their knees in order to keep themselves stable.

"What's happening?" Addy asked, looking around. Nobody answered her, all looking around for

Addy got a sinking feeling in her gut, and she looked up at the ship hovering above them. She remembered...this had happened in Westfall, right before...

"Samuel!" She shouted, running down the path, looking around with wide eyes for her trainer as she barely stopped herself from tripping over her own feet. Eventually she found him, standing ready alongside Tirion, each holding out their swords as they braced for attack.

She rushed over to them, noticing that Kharanos was now mostly free of demons beyond the odd imp that scurried away from the weapons of those chasing them. She rushed around them, realizing for the first time that she didn't have a weapon since the Dread Lord had tossed her sword away. She quickly grabbed a small one handed war axe out of a nearby demon, and held it up as she ran towards Samuel.

"Father." She was breathing heavily as she reached them, "Last time when we started beating them back they sent a Pit Lord."

Father Samuel froze, his eyes widening as he looked upwards, "And they sent Eredar commanders the second time..."

Tirion brandished his weapon, looking larger than life, "We must be ready for anythin-"

A burst sent all three of them flying back into the low hill. There was a burst of dirt and dust that made Addy cough as she sat up, spitting into the dirt, her mouth dry and covered in dirt. 

Samuel and Fordring had climbed to their feet, their swords held out as they stared ahead, their faces hard like stone. Addy grabbed her small axe, turned to face whatever the Legion had thrown their way.

Addy felt her heart sink into her stomach, and a burst of fear and panic shot through her. It couldn't be....it wasn't possible....

It was a Pit Lord. No...it was the same Pit Lord. The same one that had been killed at Sentinel hill almost ten month previously. She could see white scars that erupted from the back of it's neck, trailing down it's arms like lightning and down it's back and over it's wings. Did she do that? She'd never seen the body of the beast after it had been destroyed, but here it was, right in front of her...alive.

"H...How?" She stuttered, her eyes wide and horrified.

Father Samuel raised his sword, "Annihilan." He cursed.

"It's the same one." Addy shouted, waving her hand at it, "How can it be the same one?"

"Demon's cannot die in this realm." Tirion spoke softly, eyeing the demon in front of him with sharp eyes, "Their souls wander the twisting nether, but they will eventually reform. The only way to truly kill them is in the Twisting Nether itself - as was done with Archimonde on Draenor."

Addy felt a wave of hopelessness overcome her. How could they possibly win against a never-ending respawing army? Even her greatest achievement had come back to life a mere few months later. She thought about all the demons she had killed, just now. How long would it take for them to respawn? How could they ever hope to survive?

"Fairchild!"

Addy blinked, looking at Father Samuel who was standing in front of her, holding her by the shoulders.

"You with me Kid?" The man asked, his eyes looking up at the Pit Lord and down at her.

Addy swallowed. Now wasn't the time to have a freak out. She gave a sharp nod and gripped her axe tighter in her hands.

Tirion raised his sword and it let out a blinding light which caused the Pit Lord to let out a piercing roar. It took only moments for soldiers from stormwind and Ironforge, paladins of the Argent Crusade, and adventurers to gather around the beast.

"It's done." Tirion called to the monster, "You've lost here, demon. Go back to the nether!"

A deep vibrating sound echoed from the demon's chest, and after a frightening moment Addy realized the demon was laughing.

"Tiny human." The demon rumbled, "We are legion!"

And then he brought his large mace on onto the inn, crushing the entire structure into pebbles. Addy winced, thanking the light that they'd emptied it beforehand.

"Archer's!" She heard someone shout, "Pull! Hold!"

Tirion folding ran around the perimeter of the Pit Lord, rallying his men. Soldiers started to make shield lines to block the path to the city, poking spears through so the Pit Lord would impale itself if it went that way, but Addy figured it wouldn't deter it.

Addy raised her axe, thinking about the people she'd rescued from the inn and the mage who'd helped save them. They were in the city, along with thousands of others. And if they got into Ironforge...

Addy filled her axe with the light. To her surprise as soon as she did the white scar lines on the Pit Lord started to bubble with a pale gold and the demon hissed, lifting it's head into a roar. It turned it's beady eyes to the crowd surrounding it, searching rapidly until it zeroed in on her, snarling.

"You!"

Addy felt the blood rush from her face. Oh that couldn't be good.

Father Samuel raised an eyebrow at her, "You know each other?" He asked incredulously.

"I told you." Addy whispered, raising her axe, "It's the same Pit Lord as the attack on Westfall. I made those stupid scars when I attacked it with Judgement."

The Pit Lord roared and started to storm towards them. 

"He remembers." Father Samuel quipped.

"Thanks!" Addy snapped, her voice a bit high with panic, "I'd noticed!"

The ground vibrated, and Addy noticed with horror that the gigantic Pit Lord had taken a step towards her.

"Run." Father Samuel's eyes were wide, and his voice a bit breathless. Addy didn't move, feeling frozen with fear as she realized that the demon was out for blood - her blood specifically. "Run!"

Addy didn't waste time and immediately started to run, she ducked behind the ruins of the Inn, covering her head as the demon slamming it's mace into the ground next to her. Her eyes went wide as she stared at the weapon, twice her size, lodged into the dirt next to her.

She heard shouting behind her and a general confusion as to why the Pit Lord had abandoned his attack on the city. But Addy didn't have time to think about it as she stumbled to her feet and moved. 

The demon was large and slow, so as long as she kept moving it wouldn't be able to get a hit on her. She zig zagged through the buildings, trying to keep it as close to the other fighter's as possible. She knew that it would only take a single hit for it to kill her, and she couldn't let it take that chance.

"Archer's! Fire!"

Addy cursed when she heard that, ducking down and tossing a semi-transparent shield above her. She heard several sharp tings as arrows bounces harmlessly off her shield and tried not to think about what might have happened if she hadn't acted.

A loud roar vibrated her bones and Addy looked up, ready to run again. But the Pit Lord had taken it's attention off of her and had turned towards the archers. Paladins and other fighters had approached and were now attacking it's side, trying to find kinks in it's armour and hard scale like skin. Addy quickly stood up, dusting the snow off her armour and raised her small axe.

She skirted around the back of the beast, thankful that for the time being she had lost it's focus. She spotted Father Samuel fighting alongside Tirion Fordring, who sent burst after burst of light from the Ashbringer. She spotted several of the trainees from Northshire as well - Joseph who was focused on defending the Archer's, and Vindi who was near invisible as she attacked at the beasts ankles - trying to hobble it.

Addy decided to attack from the back, swinging a light enhanced blow right into it's hind leg. The blow bounced harmlessly off it's scales and in a burst of anger she twisted the blade and sent it straight down into it's foot.

Again the Pit Lord howled. It swung it's massive tail towards her and Addy barely had time to gasp before it collided with her stomach, sending her away.

She groaned in the dirt, quickly making sure it hadn't focused back on it. But thankfully the Pit Lord seemed to regain vision of it's goal to enter the city, and was ignoring her. 

"Right." Addy mumbled, climbing to her feet, "Watch for the tail..."

"Adeile!" 

She turned and saw Father Samuel making his way towards her.

"You alright?" He asked.

Addy nodded quickly, "Bruised, some broken ribs. But I'm good."

Father Samuel raised a glowing hand and pressed it to her side. She hissed in pain, but a moment later a warm slowly filled her chest and the sharp pain of the broken ribs vanished.

"Thanks." She grumbled, embarrassed that she didn't think to do that herself.

"Focus your attacks on it's belly." Father Samuel instructed, "It's low to the ground, but soft. One good slice to to bottom will kill it."

Addy nodded, seeing what he was talking about. The belly practically dragged on the floor, but she could see where the armour and hard scales ended. She also knew that unlike an animal, it wouldn't be stupid enough to rear and expose it's weak spot.

She had an idea - it was stupid, and she would most likely die trying. But her track record with Pit Lord's and not dying was pretty good. So she thought, why the hell not?

"Can you distract it?" Addy asked him, making Father Samuel give her a worried glance, "I need to get in front."

He looked at the beast, watching Tirion who sent another beam of light at the encroaching demon army, blasting them to dust. "I'll figure something out."

"Okay." Addy adjusted her grip on her axe, looking at the blade. She sure hoped it was sharp enough, "Because I won't have another chance at this."

"Do I want to know w-"

"No." Addy cut him off, pursing her lips as she glanced sidelong at him,"You really don't."

He gave her another worried look, but then nodded and ran over to where Tirion and the Argent Crusade fought.

Addy took a deep breathe, trying not to think about what could happen if she failed. She would die - and it wouldn't be a nice death, it would be horribly painful and would probably take a long time. But if it worked, then it would kill it.

At least for now.

She edged her way toward the front of beast, keeping best to stay out of it's eyesight. If it spotted her there was a chance it might remember that it had been trying to kill her a few minutes before, and would ruin the surprise part of the attack. 

She glanced over at Father Samuel, who gave her a quick nod. She nodded back and waited in the sword of fighters, trying to blend in and wait for the moment when the Pit Lord's focus would be broken.

It didn't take long. After a few moments a loud explosion erupted near one of the demons pods. The Pit Lord raised it's head, looking to the direction of the explosion and Addy took her chance.

She ran through the crowd, pushing people out of the way as she did. Finally when she got close to the demon, face to face with it's armoured chest, and dropped to the ground, allowing the momentum to drag her under the beast as she slid on her side.

Ignoring the pain of rocks and dirt ripping apart any unshielded skin, she raised her axe and sunk it into the soft underbelly. As she slid the entire length of the Pit Lord the axe came with her, slicing it opened breast to belly. She heard wet sounds as entrails and blood and organs spilled out, and she quickly closed her mouth as she was covered in it.

She came to a stop near the tail, and immediately rolled sideways from under the beast as it started to wobble. She had only just climbed shakily to her feet when the Pit Lord collapsed to the earth, with a single low rattle from his throat signalling it's death.

"Holy shit." Addy mumbled, feeling the adrenaline leave her body in waves. Her side was ripped apart and she could feel warm blood seeping out. Every inch of her was covered in green slime and Pit Lord blood and she had lost her axe somewhere inside the beast. She gently placed a hand on her side and healed the wounds quickly, sighing once she had determined the skin was closed.

A loud boom echoed throughout the valley And everyone ducked, covering their heads. When nothing attacked, everyone looked skyward in confusion, towards the source of the sound.

The ship was moving. Slowly it moved forward and vanished through the swirling green portal, leaving the sky clear and blue as it had been before it all started.

Addy looked around, feeling a burst of relief as the crowd started to burst into cheers.

They had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yikes It's been a bit huh? Well I do have an explanation. I was out of town, then I came down with the Plague or Ebola or something whatever it was it was awful, then Christmas happened, and work happened and also I'm a terrible person. So Yeah...
> 
> So Tirion Fordring shows up 10 minutes late with Starbucks and an Ashbringer! Tirion is definitely going to become a bigger part of this story - after all, one doesn't become a nobody paladin to the Leader of the Silver Hand without knowing a few of the Higher Ups. No Anduin AGAIN this chapter, which I'm sorry for but shit's gotta happen. 
> 
> You guys play 7.3.5 yet? Silithis is cool, but how about that Cinematic? Always a good day when we get Anduin cinematic's, even if I think he's gonna hurt bad this next expansion.
> 
> Anyhow - Feel free to follow me on my tumblr anduinnwrynn, it's all warcraft stuff, and sometimes I think I'm funny, but mostly I'm not at all. 
> 
> Next Chapter: Addy has an interesting meeting after the Battle of Ironforge, and Addy and Anduin reunite!
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	21. Espionage

She wasn't sure what she expected when she returned to the city. Destruction. Fire. A full on demonic invasion? She sure hadn't expected it to look exactly the same. The same Trade District, the same mage tower, the same cathedral and the same towering Keep rising up over the city from it's position against the mountains.

It was somewhat disconcerting, coming from the devastation and destruction that riddled the Khaz Modan. The people who wandered through the streets seemed to be completely unaware of the danger they were in. She herself looked nervously upwards every now and then, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sings of swirling green clouds or demonic ships positioning itself above the city. But there was nothing.

Addy walked up the canals, making her way towards the keep. As she approached she saw perhaps the only change in the city - the increased guard presence at the Keep. She had been forced to surrender her weapon, a large axe tied to her back. The guards raised eyebrows at the sight of black, red and green blood covering it, but she didn't acknowledge it. She hadn't had time to clean it since the invasion - she'd been busy.

She searched the library first. She didn't know why. It was the usual place she'd spent time with him, and where he'd wait for her after her long training sessions with Father Samuel. But he didn't know she was back in the city, and he would hardly be wasting his time in the library when there were so many more important things he could be doing.

As she stared at the empty library she suddenly found herself a bit lost. She had no idea where he might be - and there were so many parts of the Keep that were off limits to her. She could go to a scribe and write a letter - but there was no saying how long it would take to set up a meeting, and she needed to speak with him immediately.

Addy wrung her hands nervously at the thought of the message in her mind, feeling it weight heavily on her soul. She huffed and walked back out into the courtyard - the snow was starting to melt and the paths were slowly appearing from beneath the melt. It was still empty, however, and Addy wandered through it, finding a bench that was mostly dry and sitting down, rubbing some warmth into her arms as she looked over the ocean.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute - it hadn't stopped since the battle honestly, but it was less from the rush of adrenaline now as it was nerves, She rubbed her hands, trying to keep them warm - her mind going over the information in her brain, the information that had to reach Anduin...

"Miss Fairchild."

Addy yelped loudly, jumping nearly a foot as she whipped around. Standing barley three feet away was Princess Tess Greymane, wearing a blue dress with a warm fur lined cloak. Addy tried to catch her breath and shook her heard - she hadn't even heard her approach.

"Your Highness." Addy grumbled, annoyed she'd been snuck up upon so easily - again.

The Princess didn't seem to mind the rudeness, "I'd heard you'd returned to the city - I suppose you're looking for Anduin?"

Addy wondered how she'd heard she was in the city - considering she'd only been back for two hours at most.She nodded politely all the same.

The Princess smiled, but it was all teeth. She nodded back towards the entrance, "Well, come on then."

Addy hesitated, but the Princess had already turned away and was walking back inside. Addy leapt to her feet and hurried after her, her brows furrowed.

"You know where he is?" Addy asked.

Tess made a affirmative sound, but didn't slow in her movements. Addy made sure to keep behind her, curious where she was being lead.

They walked through the keep, through a hallway guarded by several men. They nodded at the princess, watching Addy warily as they walked. Addy wasn't sure where she was being lead, but she knew that she was only being given access because she was with the princess.

They walked up a staircase, nodding at the occasional guard who nodded back. 

The halls became much fancier the further they went, with long silken rugs covering the floors and long warm tapestries on the walls. These didn't have scenes of war like the ones in the front, but instead scenes of home and warmth and family. Addy had the feeling that they'd entered a domestic portion of the keep.

With that thought she felt her throat seize up, "W-Wait, where are we going?" She asked in a panic. Surely she wasn't going towards...

"This way." Was all the brunette spoke, her tone mildly mocking and a bit melodic as she continued down the halls. They broke off down a side hallway which was much more elaborately decorated with gilded gold and silver leaf on the walls. The wood was more finely carved and everything just had a much richer feel to it. There were a number of doors down the hall, with two very large oak double doors at the end guarded by several men. 

But the Princess didn't bring her to that door - instead she was taken to a small door to the left, there were two guards standing on either side and Princess Tess smiled at them, before knocking on the door.

"Wait!" Addy hissed at her, "What are you doing?"

Tess winked at her, "Good luck."

Addy looked at the door and back at the Princess, only to find that she had vanished. Addy blinked, looking around wildly for the woman before the door in front of her opened.

Addy blinked as Anduin poked his head out, staring at him with wide eyes. She wasn't prepared - nowhere near prepared. So instead of speaking she just stared at him blankly, gapping like an idiot. She heard a soft snort from one of the guards and she turned to glare at him.

"Addy!" Anduin cried happily. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her in for a hug.

"Oh!" Addy exclaimed as she was enveloped in warm arms, hesitantly taking her arms and patting him gently on his back, unsure of what to do with them. "We're hugging now. This...this is a thing we're doing now."

She felt a burst of air on her neck that she identified as a chuckle and she blushed a bit as she realized she'd spoken out loud. The guard that had snorted was grinning and she sent him death eyes.

Anduin pulled away, keeping his hands on her shoulder as he beamed at her. A moment later he paused furrowing his brows as he studied her. Addy hadn't had a lot of time to clean up since Ironforge as she was still covered in demon blood and gut stains, as well as dirt and grime that came from not cleaning herself.

He looked down at his own clothing, which was now equally covered, which made Addy smirk a bit. He gave her a sheepish grin, shrugging a bit.

"Rough flight?" He joked.

Addy shook her head, "No, I took the Tram - faster."

"The tram?" Anduin paused, his face contorted in confusion. Then slowly it started to shift to horror as he scanned over her again, his hands getting a bit tighter on her shoulders, "You were in Ironforge!"

"Well yes." Addy nodded like it was obvious. He must've known about the Call to Arms, but apparently he hadn't realized that it would've involved her until now judging by the look on his face.

Anduin took a hand and rubbed it over his face. Then he reached down and grabbed her hand gently, "Come on in."

Again, Addy panicked, "Wait- What?"

She felt her face burst red as she was dragged into his chambers. There had to be some sort of rules about this, right? It was probably incredibly improper. It somehow felt much more intimate to be in his private space than for him to be in hers - he was the Prince after all. There was probably only a handful of people who had access to his bedroom - and apparently he felt comfortable enough with her to grant her access.

Addy stumbled awkwardly into the bedroom, pausing for a moment as she studied it. She felt a burst of relief as she realized that she wasn't in the bed chamber, but rather a sitting area with warm plush chairs in front of a large fire. More tapestries hung from the walls and one wall was covered completely by a large bookshelf covered in scrolls and parchments and books all looking well loved. There was a desk in the corner with papers scattered all over it as well as various maps and a large pile of books which threatened to fall over.

"Er-sorry." Anduin rushed over and started to move the papers into a neater pile, "Im not usually this messy."

"It's fine." Addy shifted, "I didn't exactly tell you I was coming. I didn't even know I was coming." She muttered the last bit under her breathe.

"Are you okay?" He asked finally, looking worried. His eyes scanned her quickly and she tried not to read too much into it.

"Fine." She mumbled, a bit uneasy with the concern. "I mean, I had some scraps and stuff but it's all healed now."

She was understating her injuries a bit. Her entire back and side had been shredded from when she'd slid under the beast. It had resulted in a few new scars on her side, but nothing as dramatic as the one on her neck.

"Are you sure?" He asked, walking back over to her, "I could heal you - if you want."

Addy flushed again, "No it's fine. Thank you."

Anduin nodded, then smiled, "Let me grab a cloak and we can go down to the courtyard, just like before, right?"

"No!" Addy said suddenly, her eyes wide.

Anduin startled, his eyes furrowed in concern once again. He took a step closer, "Addy? What's wrong?"

"I need to speak to you, in private." She whispered. She remembered what had happened just two days before and winced, turned and holding out her hand. She let out a near blinding burst of light over the room. She looked around, knowing that the power of the light would reveal any spies or rogues hidden within the room. Once she was certain that they were truly alone she tuned back to Anduin.

"Addy?" He looked but more serious than he had before, as he realized that this wasn't just a friendly visit, "What happened?"

***

Two Days Previous

The few days after the attack were spent on cleaning up and evacuating Dun Morogh. It was a bit tricky, because they couldn't send them to Stormwind due to the threat of attack, so the majority had been put onto ships and sent to Teldrassil. Others had wandered into other Dwarven lands, or moved into the City - which now looked more like a refugee camp than the great city it was.

Addy had been lucky enough to snag a room at an Inn, a toasty warm stone room with a bed that was short, but double wide. There was no fire pit, but the heat from the forge kept her warm during the night even when the cold winter winds echoed through the mountain. 

She'd travelled out with Father Samuel to the more remote areas of the mountain to find people who might be trapped. They'd found a few families hiding away in underground bunkers, and others trapped in their collapsed homes. She'd seen more dead gnomes and dwarves than she'd ever wanted, and they'd buried them into mass graves outside the buildings and farms they were found outside. Father Samuel taught her how to perform last rites, which were spoken for every person they found, no matter how long it took.

They ended up at the Amberstill ranch on the third day with a small group, mostly paladins from the Argent Crusade who'd come to help heal any who'd been found. Quite a few of them had been apparently curious of the light scars on the Pit Lord and had seemed a bit put out when she couldn't answer their questions about them.

She'd asked Father Samuel about it.

He grunted, "I've seen it before, on demons and creations of the old gods - especially in Silithis. I've never seen them appear after a demon has reformed."

Addy wasn't sure what to think about that. She supposed it must've just been a fluke.

A lot of people had also been eager to meet her after she killed the Pit Lord. While being covered head to toe in guts hadn't made her feel very heroic, she had apparently looked much more impressive to everyone else. She was still finding intestines in unfortunate places days later.

"Alright." Father Samuel called out to them, having taken up a position of command as Tirion travelled back to Stormwind to debrief the king. "Let's make this quick. Grab any supplies that might be useful - look for survivors...but I doubt we'll find any. This place was hit hard."

And Addy could tell. The few buildings that had been here had been reduced to rubble, if there had been anyone in them they would be long dead. The ground was chard and the bones of the yaks and mountain sheep of the region were littering the ground, covered with a dusting of snow. 

The groups walked off, immediately scouting the buildings. Addy wandered towards the burnt barn which housed the sheep. It smelt of burnt flesh even now and she quickly grabbed scrap metal that she knew would be melted into weapons. She snatched up anything that looked salvageable and then carried it back to the carts, loading it on.

A female Paladin came up, carrying some bags of grain into the cart. The woman raised her hand over her eyes and gazed out towards the mountains, "I think there's some caves over there."

Addy looked towards where she was pointing and nodded. There could be survivors hiding in them, "I'll go check it out."

Addy grabbed a climbing pick in case she had to hike through some steep slopes and wandered towards the mountain. About fifteen minutes later she was able to spot the caves, well hidden behind some trees. Nobody would have seen them if they hadn't been looking, and Addy figured they would have been good places to hide.

"Hello?" Addy called out, her voice echoing through the mountain behind her. A burst of wind made her shiver, and she pulled her cloak tighter around her make-shift armour. The wind blew through the cave making an eerie howl throughout the valley

But there was no response.

Addy huffed, walking closer to the caves, calling a few more times without response. Eventually she managed to make her way to the entrance.

Addy hooked her climbing axe to her belt, and rested her hand on an axe she'd found in the city. She knew there could be survivors in there - but there could be wild animals taking refuge, and the last thing she wanted was to come back to face with a terrified wolf.

"Hello?" She called into the cave, listening to her voice echo. She stayed silent, trying to listen for a response, whether it was the voice of a lost dwarf or the growl of a hungry animal.

But there was nothing. Addy relaxed a bit, but resigned herself to go through the cave and search for bodies. She really hoped there wasn't anybody in there.

She look a few steps into the cave, wincing at the bitter cold. She wished it was a crystal cave like the one in the cliffs at Stormwind, something that would warm her toes and give her a moments rest. But instead the frozen dirt floor seamed to seep through her thick leather boots making them even worse. Her breath came out in frozen bursts, and she pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

And felt an ice cold blade at her neck.

Addy froze, feeling the edge of the very sharp dagger sliding against the thin skin of her neck. She cursed under her breath, embarrassed that she'd been caught so unaware. 

"Drop your weapons." The voice was muffled, and Addy wasn't sure if it was a man or woman, or which race spoke to her. It sure wasn't a Gnome or Dwarf as they could reach her neck, so she assumed it was a human.

Addy had had training with daggers however, and had spared with Vindi at Northshire hundreds of times. Fast as lightning she reached under the arm at the neck, pushing the blade away. As soon as it was gone she ducked and rolled, coming up to her feat and pulling out her axe as she stared at the person in front of her.

It was definitely a woman, wearing tight leather armour over thick heavy muscles with a hood and mask that covered her face. In her arms she held two deadly looking daggers with chains falling off the and of them and dripping with deadly green poison.

Addy didn't wait for her to make the first move. She stormed forward and swung with her axe, pushing the light into the blow. Obviously the woman had some experience with paladins because she didn't even try to block it, instead dodging the blow and letting the axe dig itself into the floor. Addy yanked it free and swung behind her. The woman ducked, twisted and swiped Addy's feet out from under her.

She landed hard on her back, knocking the wind out from her. She rolled quickly and got to her feet as fast as possible, a flurry of blades came at her and it took all her concentration to avoid getting sliced with them. She didn't know what kind of poison was on the weapons, but she had a feeling it wouldn't end well if she got cut.

Finally Addy managed to use her axe to slam into one of her hands, making her hiss and drop one of the blades. Addy wasted no time in kicking the weapon as far away as possible.

But this just served to piss the woman off. Finally she just reached forward and grabbed Addy's axe, yanking it down as she brought her knee up, snapping the handle in half. Addy tried to pull back, but the woman had an unnatural amount of strength. 

The woman just grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her forward, head-butting her hard. Addy felt her vision blur with pain and she collapsed to the ground, groaning. She could feel blood going over her eyes were the woman's forehead had actually cut her.

"What the...?" Addy mumbled, trying to push the blood out of her eyes.

The woman climbed on top of her, pushing her last remaining dagger against her neck to keep her pinned to the floor.

And then she removed her hood.

***  
Present Day

"An orc?"

Addy shifted, her back starting to hurt from how straight she was standing. She swallowed, but her throat was deadly dry.

After Addy had finished her tale to Anduin, the prince had looked pale and slightly panicked. But beneath that Addy could see a small amount of excitement and anticipation. Immediately he had taken her from his room and dragged her to his Father.

She stood in front of the King in the war, telling the same story she had told Anduin. The Prince was buzzing with excitement but Addy felt like she was going to be sick.

"Yes, your Majesty." She replied politely.

The King was studying her, his eyes narrowed and head tilted. She got the feeling this was a lot more than a conversation, and she suddenly got the sense he was trying to see if she was worth his son's attention.

"Had you ever seen an rc before?" He asked.

He didn't sound accusatory, just curious. She nodded, "A few - mostly Blackrock Orcs that come south to raid camps. I've seen drawings as well."

"Was this a Blackrock Orc?"

"No, she was green." 

The King nodded, his eyes going unfocused. He poked his tongue through his cheek, looking deep in thought before he asked, "And did this particular orc look....different?"

"Father?" Anduin asked, looking curious. The King raised a hand, staring at Addy as he waited for an answer.

Addy wasn't sure exactly what the king was looking for, but as she thought back to the encounter, she found herself nodding.

"Yeah...she did."

***  
Two Days Previous

Addy felt her mouth drop open in shock as she stared at the orc woman pinning her down. She looked....strange, even for an orc. Her skin was bright green, her hair pulled back into two ponytails that dipped down her back, but her forehead was rigid, sharp and jagged with large spikes pointing up and backwards. Addy realized that that must've been what cut her forehead, making her bleed.

Addy dazedly reached for a small dagger her had in her boot, but the Orc slammed her boot onto her hand, pinning it in place.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She growled at her, her mouth full of pointed canines and large husks which were carved with runic designs. 

Addy narrowed her eyes, "You're in Alliance territory, Orc."

"Really?" She snorted, rolling her eyes, "No shit."

It was weird to hear an orc swear in common. In fact it was weird to hear an orc speak common at all. Any she had seen before refused, instead choosing to spit in their harsh foreign language, unsavoury things that make Addy puff up in anger, despite not knowing their meaning.

"What do you want?" Addy spat, realizing she was trapped, but still alive. Obviously the orc wasn't planning on killing her.

"To talk."

Whatever Addy was expecting it wasn't that, "Er- What?"

The orc looking unimpressed, "Are all baby humans as dumb as you?"

"Baby- I'm not a child." Addy struggled, trying to get her hand free, but Father Samuel had been right, orc's were much stronger than humans. She thought about using the light, but determined she wasn't in any danger at the moment. She didn't want to tire out before she had to fight for her life.

"You look like one." The orc woman grunted, her boot easing up slightly on her hand, "Calm down Baby Human, I just need to talk to you."

"I'm not a baby-" Addy took a breath, trying to calm herself down. She spoke through gritted teeth, "What do you need to talk about?"

"The attacks." The woman grunted, "Horde wants to speak with Alliance leaders - I need you to get a message to your king."

Addy sputtered from her place on the ground, suddenly realizing this was a lot more serious then she'd thought it was, "I- What?! How...Why would you think I have the ability to talk to the High King?!"

The orc women smirked lightly, reaching into a pocket at her belt. She stood up, taking her boot off her hand entirely and tossing a small stack of flattened parchment rolls at her.

Addy frowned, "I can't read." She grumbled, not feelingly as annoyingly prideful as she usually did about the fact. But she picked up the stack anyways.

Once glance at the first letter told her all she needed to know.

***  
Present Day

"Really?" The King looked at his son disapprovingly. Anduin flushed red.

"I was careful!" Anduin argued, "I didn't have my full name on any of them, and I gave it to Shaw to send! She must've been going through our mail for months to find all of them."

That made the king purse his lips, and Addy got the sense that he knew who this strange orc woman was.

"Please, continue." The King urged, "What exactly does the Horde wish to discuss?"

***  
Two Days Previous

Addy blushed as she realized that the Orc woman had been privy to all her private conversations with Anduin.

"Fine." Addy relented, pulling herself into a seated position, rubbing her sore hand, "What is it?"

The woman squared her shoulders and started to deliver a speech that had obviously been prepared, "Your King is no doubt aware of the attacks on our northern gate that occurred concurrent with the attacks on Westfall."

"Concurrent?"

"It means at the name time."

"Right." Addy flushed, "I knew that."

The orc sighed wearily, "However, it appears that this attack on Ironforge was one of four simultaneous attacks."

"Four!" Addy gapped, "How- Why haven't we heard of them?"

"Two were in Kalimdor, and the third in Horde territory. Your King may have heard of the attack in Hillsbrad by now, but his messengers in Kalimdor may not have sent word yet."

"Hillsbrad?" Addy thought for a few moments, before coming to an obvious conclusion, "Undercity?"

"That is our guess." The orc nodded, "The other attacks occurred in the Barrens and Tanaris."

Addy was flummoxed. The Barrens made sense, it was close to both Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff. But Tanaris?

"What in the world would they want with Tanaris?" She asked out loud.

The Orc woman raised her eyebrow, her lips twitching. "I'm sure your King will have an idea, as does our Warchief. But either way, all attacks were held off. It seems as though most of their forces were directed to Ironforge."

"It'll be the hardest city to capture." Addy said with a small smidgen of pride, "They'll want to try and destroy it as soon as possible so the people in Stormwind have nowhere to go if the city is attacked."

The orc woman looked surprised, "Indeed. Either way, this entire thing is getting out of hand. Our Warchief is officially extending an invitation of talks between leaders to negotiate an opening of borders in the effected areas. A...truce if you would, to help hold off the legion until Khadgar finishes his work."

Addy wasn't sure what Khadgar's work was, but she was hesitant about the plan. Neutral borders sounded like a good idea on paper, but thinking about some of the people she grew up with...neutral territory would mean nothing to them. If they saw an orc or a troll, or a Forsaken...they'd kill it, King be damned.

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea..." Addy chewed on her lip.

The orc scoffed, "Well it's not exactly up to you is it? I just need you to tell the king."

"Fine." Addy snapped, "Write it down, I'll give it to An- The prince."

"No." The orc glared at her like she was in idiot, "Papers can be lost." She held up her letters in example and Addy flushed in anger once again. "There are still people out there who yearn for open war, this needs to to happen fast - before the Legion decides to attack again."

Addy gritted her teeth, pulling herself to her feet "Alright, I get it. I get him the stupid message."

"Quickly?"

"Yes, quickly." Addy glared, reaching for her light to heal the injuries on her hand and forehead. 

She wiped the remaining blood onto her arm, groaning at the sight of another stain on the leather. When she looked up to glare at the orc woman accusingly, she was gone

Addy shook her head, turning to the exit of the cave

"Fucking Rogues"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: But of a shorter chapter. Originally the scene with the Orc was supposed to occur in the last chapter, but it didn't really fit and the chapter was a bit long, so I ended up giving it it's own chapter. 
> 
> Also 99% of this chapter was written at work, but shh don't tell anybody.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left reviews and comments! You have been so lovely and you make me blush. Reviewers keep me focused on this story and stop me from getting distracted by other projects. Also feel free to follow me on Tumblr at anduinnwrynn.
> 
> Next Chapter: Addy and Anduin get maybe a bit too close for comfort
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> -Ash


	22. Instincts

There was a long silence after Addy had left. Anduin wanted her to stay, he hadn't seen her in months, but he could tell how uncomfortable she was around his father, and he knew that his father rarely kept a cool head when discussing the horde. He'd tried to tell her with his eyes that he'd see her later, but in her rush to leave, he wasn't sure if she understood.

"Well?" Anduin asked, leaning forward on the war table. Covering it were several maps of various island chains east of Pandaria. These were all possible locations of the Legion portal, all in a location in the Great Sea that Khadgar had narrowed down as the greatest source of Fel magic in Azeroth.

His father gave him an incredulous glance, "What do I think? Well, let's see...," his tone was sarcastic and Anduin sighed, dropping his head and preparing for the worst, "My first instinct, as always, is to send a team to kill her, but no doubt she's long gone by now. My second instinct is that this is a trap."

"Don't be ridiculous." Anduin scoffed, raising his head to give his father a dubious stare, "The Horde aren't morons. They know they can't fight two battles at once. So, if they're contacting us, that means they're desperate."

Varian winced, "I was afraid of that."

"They're getting hit the same as us." Anduin pointed out, "First Close to Orgrimmar, then cutting off routes to Thunder Bluff and Undercity. If they control Undercity, it's only a matter of time before Silvermoon falls. Teldrassil and the Exodar are easy targets once we fall back on them..." His father knew all this already, but Anduin repeated it anyways, to drive his point, "We know what their plan is and we have no way to stop them. We need to work with the Horde on this."

The King groaned, rubbing his forehead, "Fine, alright. We'll meet in neutral territory then. The Celestial Court? 

Anduin was surprised by his fathers suggestion, but quite pleased by the thought of returning to Pandaria, "Yes, that's probably best. Pandaria is still considered pretty sacred by everyone, and starting another conflict there would reflect badly on anyone."

His father nodded slowly, "We'll bring Asha and Jai to help keep the peace."

"Perhaps we limit how many people we invite." Anduin pointed out, "Try to keep some of the more...volatile parties apart. No good can come from having Genn and Windrunner in the same room."

Anduin wrinkled his nose inwardly at the thought of the Banshee queen. While he didn't harbour any personal hatred for her the way Genn did, he still felt a bit...uneasy, about the leader of the undead. He could admit that she would always try do what was best for her people, but sometimes Anduin wasn't sure if she realized that what she wanted, might not be what her people did.

Varian grunted in agreement, "Fine, we'll tell them no Windrunner. I'll bring Genn and Tyrande."

Anduin winced, feeling like he was about to stumble into an argument, "I think Windrunner will be there either way - it's her land that's under attack after all."

"Some could argue that it's our land." Varian grumbled.

Anduin grimaced. He knew there were still thousands of people living in Stormwind who'd been forced south by the scourge, who still considered the northern lands home. However this wasn't the time to restart that debate, "As of right now she controls the land, so for the sake of this meetings it's hers." Anduin argued, "But to avoid another war breaking out Genn should stay here."

His father sighed, and Anduin thought he would argue, but instead he just nodded, "Fine. Moira then."

Anduin was surprised. His father had been on shaky ground with Moira ever since he'd, well....tried to kill her. But she'd been working hard to regain her footing and prestige in the Alliances eyes and he was glad his father saw that.

"Good idea," Anduin smiled, "You could represent Westfall, Moira Ironforge and Tyrande should come as well. She may hate the Horde as much as you, but she can keep a level head about it."

"What're you saying about me, then?"

"Er-" Anduin flushed, "Just...try not to antagonize them too much."

Varian chuckled, reaching over to ruffle Anduin's hair which made him grumble in annoyance, "Well then, mighty diplomat. Besides Windrunner, who else will they bring?"

Anduin beamed at the praise, he'd spent countless nights imagining a peacefully meeting between the Horde and the Alliance and what it might entail, "Baine, if they were smart. He's been known to work with the Alliance easily enough, and his people long for peace. Gallywix is out, Lor'themar doesn't care much for politics that don't directly involve his people, so as long as Silvermoon is left alone we won't be seeing him. Thrall isn't involved in politics at all anymore as far as I know - it seems that Saurfang has been taking over for orc leadership, but he's still dealing with the backlash of Hellscream, so light knows he's busy." 

His father sat silently as he spoke, studying him. "When did you find the time to learn all this?"

Anduin flushed again, but then straightened, "It's much easier to learn about how people think when you're not trying to stick a sword in them."

Varian chuckled, "But not nearly as much fun. But I digress."

Anduin winced, but didn't say anything in response. He didn't really think there was anything 'fun' about killing and battle, but his father had always had something of the wolf in him, and was nearly as bloodthirsty as an Orc in battle - not that he'd admit it.

Varian stared at the maps before him, before tilting his head, "We should bring representatives of the lands under attack. The people who live there should have a say in whether or not we let Horde into their lands and vice versa."

Anduin hadn't thought about that - but his father was right. He knew that the bad blood ran deeper than the leadership. "Alright. What about neutral areas like the Barrens or Tanaris?"

"The Steamweddle Cartel operates in both." Varian pointed out, "Giving them a say could strengthen our ties with them, there's always the worry they might join with their brethren in the Horde."

Anduin grabbed a piece of parchment, "How about two from each area affected? That's two from Westfall, maybe a Dwarf and Gnome for Ironforge. Then two from Azshara and Hillsbrad, and then two from each of the neutral zones."

"I'll send a missive to Moira and Tyrande." His father straightened, "I'll chat with the other leaders as well. I assume most will be in agreement with our plans."

Anduin shifted, and swallowed, before asking the question he was dreading. "What about Jaina?"

His father cringed, gritting his teeth lightly, "She won't like this...I hate to argue with her, but this is bigger than Alliance and Horde." He looked up and pierced his son with a fond look, "Too many times have I overlooked the bigger picture because of my hatred of the Horde. Not this time, not when there's so much at stake..."

Anduin dropped his head. He tried not to think about Jaina too much - how happy and full of life she used to be. She had been his idol, always willing to see the best in everyone. Her friendship with the Horde's former Warchief had been something of legend on both sides, whether people liked it or not. But after Theramore...she had changed. Afterwards she had been manic, her eyes wild and dead at the same time and a permanent snarl and look of hatred had taken place upon her face. Anduin wouldn't admit it, but he had been legitimately scared of her in that moment.

She had calmed down since then, but her hatred never left. Anduin couldn't talk to her the same way he could as a child. He didn't even refer to her as Aunt anymore...as if his Aunt had perished and now a stranger stood in front of him.

"I'll send a missive to your...friend." Varian motioned towards the door and Anduin startled as he realized he meant Addy. "Inviting her along."

"I....what?" Anduin was surprised by that. Sure he liked Addy, and liked to think that they were friends (even if it was hard to tell with her very closed personality), but he wasn't sure why she would be invited to something like this.

Varian shrugged, "She can be a representative of Westfall - bring Marshal Stowell as the second if he agrees. She already knows about the summit and the less people that know the better." The king's face darkened, "The last thing we need is sabotage, by the legion, or other parties."

 

***

It took three days for Father Samuel's response to return to her. During that time Addy was mostly holed up in her room, relishing the break in her training for the first time in nearly six months. She helped out Mr. Tim when she could, but from what she could tell the bar had ceased to be a bar, and was now little more than a front for whatever he and his friends got up to in the basement. He spent so much time down there that she barely saw him the entire time she was back.

When she got the letter, she brought it to a scribe, listening patiently as he read her the letter out loud.

"Stay in Stormwind for the time being." Samuel had written, "We need to wait until the 'meeting' before we make our next move."

Addy had been glad Samuel had been discreet in his message - the scribe looked deadly curious, but Addy ignored him as she contemplated the message.

"Oh," The scribe continued, "And good work."

Addy frowned, "What?"

"At the bottom." The scribe motioned to the parchment, "It says good work."

Addy snatched the letter out of his hands and looked at it. At the bottom of the page, written in dark red ink rather than the normal black Father Samuel had written in, where two works in thick harsh letters. Definitely not the same writing as Father Samuel who had a very neat flowing script of someone taught cursive at a young age.

Addy crumpled up the page in annoyance and shove it into her belt.

***

She got a knock on her door a few days later.

Addy's head shot up, a frown on her face as she looked at the door to her small bedroom. She remembered the last time someone had knocked and her face burned. Last time she had dropped out of bed, rushing to find a dress to throw on, while the man, who's name she's long forgotten, chuckled, reaching for his own tunic that had been discarded on her window sill.

This time, however, she just tossed down the borrowed gauntlets she'd been trying to mend and stood up, walking over to the door and opening it.

It was Mr. Tim. His lips were pursed over his yellow teeth and his dark hair was pushed back from his face.

"Am I late?" Addy asked. Usually she used the sundial she could see from her window to check the time, and had thought she had a few hours until she had to watch the bar while Mr. Time disappeared into the basement.

Mr. Tim shook his head, "You have a visitor."

Anduin? Addy thought immediately. She couldn't think of anyone else who knew where she lived. Father Samuel was still in ironforge after all. 

She hadn't been avoiding Anduin, really. She just thought that he was probably very busy. She'd seen several Night Elves in town and there were rumours that a delegation from Ironforge was here as well. She could imagine in in dozens of very boring meetings, planning out what would most likely be a very difficult summit.

Had he come looking for her? To see if she was still in town?

Addy walked out from the back hall and into the main pub, scanning it until she found the person Mr. Tim was referring too.

Addy gapped, her mouth opening and closing as she stared at the figure sitting on the dirty wooden benches very comfortably, leaning against the table with her arms crossed as she waited.

"Y-Your Highness?" Addy asked, a bit confused.

Tess Greymane turned her head, smirking at her and standing up, "Ah, yes. Miss Fairchild Perfect. I was hoping to find you here."

"Er- You did?" Addy was confused. She hadn't spoken to the princess much, and the few conversations they'd had hadn't been very cordial. 

"Yes." The Princess stood and for the first time Addy noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual Gilnean style dresses and fur cloaks. Instead she wore laced up leggings and a tight leather top, covered with a deep blue cloak with a large hood that covered her face. "I was hoping you would have tea with me."

Addy looked away from her strange outfit and looked back at her face, confused. "You did?" She repeated.

The Princess giggled and it sounded like bells. Addy wondered if she was being laughed at. "Yes. I've heard you were in the city and hoped we could get together and...chat."

Addy had a feeling this wasn't as much of a suggestion as it seemed and reluctantly nodded, "Um...Sure, I suppose."

"Perfect." Tess beamed at her, then turned to leave the pub before turning to stare at her, "Are you coming?"

Addy blinked but then gathered up her skirt and started to run after the Princess, pausing only when Mr. Tim called her name.

She turned to stare at him. He looked nervous.

"I'm closing early tonight." He told her, "Don't worry about coming back on time. And...try not to bring anymore royals back with you."

Addy wondered what illegal activities Mr. Tim was getting up to tonight that he was so worried about Royal presence. But she nodded anyways, before turning and walking outside to join the princess, who for some reason wanted to have tea with her.

***  
Tess waked with her back to the keep, which Addy thought was strange. The woman didn't seem bothered by the walk, which Addy would have suspected with a noblewoman. The day was one of the first warm days of spring and Addy found the back of her neck getting warm from the scarf she used to hide her scars and the sun beating down on them.

But the walk along the canals was nice. Fishermen were navigating their boats along them to bring their catches into the market. Barrels of salted fish and spices were being loaded on the docks and open fermenting buckets of garum made Addy wrinkle her nose as they passed by. 

They walked into the keep without incident - not a single person had recognized Tess, which Addy found astonishing. It surprised her that all you had to do was wear some trousers and toss on a cloak to become invisible in a crowd.

"Come along," Tess beamed at her, "I have a private tea room."

That didn't surprise Addy.

Tess brought along the same path that she had last time and Addy wondered if she was about to be tricked into going back to Anduin's room to speak with him. She watched the Princess with narrowed eyes, but the woman didn't seem to mind, and walked along the silk covered walls until they ended up a small unguarded door that Tess walked into.

Addy walked into it and paused, surprised at what she saw.

The room was rather warm, the walls hanging long tapestries carrying the Gilnean sigil. One wall was all windows letting the warmth of the sun brighten the room, which didn't seem to have any lit candles. There was a soft rug on the floor and a wooden table with a gilded silver tea set on it, with several chairs surrounding it.

Tess pull off her cloak, "Why don't you sit down?"

Addy felt like she should wait for the Princess to sit first, but slowly lowered herself, wringing her hands on her lap as she looked at the tea set. She frowned at the small jars of leaves and biscuits. It looked much fancier than the usual Silverleaf and Peacebloom teas that the common folk drank. Some of the jars had familiar herbs such as Goldthorn - a fairly expensive herb, and Fadeleaf. But the rest was a mystery.

"Purple Lotus." Tess explained as Addy examined a jaw of purple team "And Arthas' Tears. It was very popular back home." She pointed to a jar of blood red tea, "Talandra's Rose." And then to two more, "These were imported from Pandaria, Twilight Jasmine and Green Tea."

Addy had no idea what any of these tasted like so she took the jaw of Twilight Jasmine and started to prepare her tea in what she thought might be a silk sleeve.

Tess watched her, making a Mix of Arthas' Tears and Purple Lotus. "Im sure you're curious about why I'm asking you to have tea."

Addy wanted to burst out and demand answers but knew that it would be rude. So instead she dipped the silk sleeve of tea leaves into the warm water and gave a nervous smile, "Yes I was."

Tess gave her a wry grin and Addy got the feeling the princess could see right through her, "I'm sure. Honestly I'm sure we could have had this conversation at your place, but I had the feeling I wasn't welcome there."

"Probably not." Addy said without thinking, then quickly doubled back, "I mean...Mr. Tim is just a private person."

"So I've heard." Tess winked and Addy felt like she was missing a joke. "I wished to speak with you about your meeting with the Orc woman in Dun Morogh actually."

Addy blew on her tea, "Oh?"

"Yes." Tess lowered her tea, "I was curious...this woman, did she look..different from a regular orc?"

Addy shifted, wringing her hands, "The King asked me the same question..."

"I'd be surprised if he didn't." Tess was smiling again, taking a sip of her now deep purple tea. 

Addy took a sip of her own, trying not to appear rude. Se was pleasantly surprised at the taste - much better than what she drank in Westfall, and very sweet, despite having added no sugar of any kind. "She had forehead ridges, large ones. Like a Draenei."

Tess hummed in acknowledgement, before grabbing a scroll that Addy had only just noticed and handing it towards her, "Did she look like this?"

Addy took the scroll and unrolled it, her heart jumping out of her chest at the picture. It looked like some sort of wanted poster, not that she could read, but the sketched drawing in the middle was very familiar.

"Yes." Addy closed the scroll, handing it back, "Yes, that's her. Why? Is she dangerous."

Tess nodded, a small frown on her face. "Extremely, but she's not our enemy. Technically she was lead intelligence for the Horde for a period, I am unsure if she still is. However she is much more well known as 'The Kingslayer'."

Addy blinked, trying to think about what little history she knew. Most of it came from her grandfather's drunken rambles of the three great wars and his bitter hatred of Varian Wyrnn. But the term came to mind almost immediately.

"Garona Halforcen?" Addy gasped, shocked that she had been face to face with such an inauspicious figure. She suddenly felt a bit better about being defeated do easily by the orc.

The Princess dipped a biscuit into her tea and nibbled it lightly, "Yes. Most people assume she's half human, but that's hardly true, how could she be? She's half Draenei, hence the forehead ridges."

Addy shook her head, "But isn't this bad?! The King would never agree to anything she proposed. Would he?"

Tess gave her another wry look, stared at her from under her eyelashes as she took sips from her drink. "Oh no, the summit will take place. Varian Wrynn can be level headed when he wants to be."

Addy had finished her drink, stopping herself from licking out the cup. She turned to look at the Princess, who was watching her in such a intense way that she felt herself fidgeting, "It sounds like you knew all this already...why am I here?"

Tess was silent for a few moments, her visage losing a bit of the fake friendliness she had been showing since she had first shown up at her home and a strange eagerness took it's place, "Yes...I wanted to ask you a question, regarding Garona."

"What did I think of her?" Addy repeated the question, feeling a bit unsure of herself. Just what was Tess Greymane getting at here?

"Yes." The princes nodded, "Was she hostile, friendly, chatty, rude...?"

"Oh." Addy tilted her head, still a bit confused, "Well, she was hostile I suppose, but that might have been because I threatened her...but she wasn't trying to kill me so I'm not certain."

"Did you find her trustworthy?"

Addy suddenly got a sinking feeling in her gut, "I...I don't know. Do you think it's a trap?" She felt sick to her stomach. Had she unwittingly lead the leaders of the Alliance into a trap a the hands of the Horde? She didn't have any negative feelings towards the Horde one way or the other, but her grandfather had always gone on about how untrustworthy they were. What if he was right?

"Doubtful." Tess spoke flippantly, not really making Addy feel any better, "But what do your instincts tell you?'

"My instincts?" Addy scoffed, "What does that have to do with anything?" 

"Just..." Tess closed her eyes, looking a bit annoyed for the first time since they'd started speaking, "Humour me."

Addy huffed in annoyance. She shifted her shoulders, trying to think back to the incident and think about what she'd been thinking.

The orc woman, Garona, had been fairly relaxed the entire time, obviously not thinking of her as a threat...or maybe even as an enemy. But it did strike Addy that she hadn't even considered that it might be a trap until right this moment. Garona Halforcen had seemed sincere in her request. 

"Yeah..." Addy nodded, a bit surprised at herself, "I think...I trust her. I don't think she see's us as the enemy." Addy paused for a moment, fixing a bewildered look on the princess, "Why do you want to know all this?"

The princess hesitated, and for a moment Addy thought she might actually tell her the truth, but then she plastered her fake smile on again and took another sip of her tea.

"Security reasons." Tess beamed, lying through her teeth, "We're confident it's not a trap, but it never hurts to double check."

 

"Right..." Addy sounded unconvinced, and looked down at the soaked silk bag in her cup.

Tess suddenly stood up and walked over to the large window, looking down at what Addy realize was a small sundial. "Perfect, it's nearly noon, which means-"

There was a knock at the door and Addy jumped, almost dropping the porcelain cup onto the floor. She scrambled to save it as Tess called out a bright "Come in!"

"Tess?" A familiar voice called, "You wanted to see me?"

Addy felt like she'd swallowed a lemon when Anduin walked in, his clothing perfectly pressed and not a hair out of place. She hadn't really had the chance to study him last time, her brain had been a scattered mess and she'd been so nervous she thought she might vomit. But now that she got the chance to look at him she could see that he'd grown over the last six months, surprisingly. His hair was longer, and he looked like he may have grown a bit...wider, in his shoulders. She wondered what exactly he'd been up to in her absence.

Anduin spotted her there in her wrinkled blue dress, nervously holding an empty cup of tea and she flushed. Her eyes flickered over to Tess and she mouthed 'Help me' to Anduin, not sure she could take anymore of the Princess's weird questions.

"Anduin!" Tess beamed, "I'd totally forgotten about our meeting." Addy raised an eyebrow, "Sorry I'll have to reschedule, I'm booked. However Miss Fairchild here was just leaving. Why don't you escort her out."

Addy narrowed her eyes at the Princess, what was she playing at?

Anduin just looked amused, "Alright. Well then, er- Miss Fairchild." He held out his arm, "Shall we?"

Addy stood up, giving Tess Greymane one more uncertain glance. She curtseyed and mumbled, "Your Highness," before turning, trying not to look like she was running as she rushed over to grab Anduin's arm.

"What was that about?" Anduin whispered to her, his eyes bright with hidden laughter.

Addy shook her head, bewildered, "I have no idea, but let's get out of here."

***

"Am I even allowed to be here?" Addy asked nervously, as she studied Anduin's receiving room. She found it weird that there weren't any windows, but she knew that it was practical. No doubt the room was situated in the middle of the keep, so the occupants would be kept safe from projectiles in the case of a siege. She also had a suspicion that there was numerous secret passageways out of the room, probably leading down to those tunnels he had dragged her through. She'd been here once before, briefly, but she still felt tense as she awkwardly stood by the fire.

"Of course." Anduin chuckled, grabbing a number of dusty yellow parchments from his bookshelf, "Why wouldn't you be?"

"I thought it might be...inappropriate or something." Addy mumbled, flushing and avoiding eye contact as she became very interested in the carved mantle above his fire.

Anduin gave her a grin over his shoulder that made her face burn brighter, "You seem to care a lot more about propriety than most nobles I've met."

"Shut up." She grumbled, knowing she shouldn't be so nervous. She wasn't exactly a pure white virgin or anything, but it felt different with Anduin. In a rush to change the subject she spat out the first thing that came to her mind, "How was the ball?" She asked before wincing.

Anduin didn't seem bothered, instead he snorted, "Which one?"

"There was more than one?" Addy blinked. How often did these things happen?

Anduin sighed, "Yes. My father has always hd rather extravagant balls on my birthday. The Christmas ball was fine, if not for a rather jealous lover glaring at me as I danced with Lady Margaret." Anduin didn't sound annoyed by the fact, mostly just amused. 

"Oh yes, I heard you attended with her. I've heard she's very beautiful." Addy winced as she realized she sounded like a jealous bint. She walked over to a low plush benched seat near the fire and sat down, trying to smooth out her ratty dress.

Anduin's face tinge red for a moment and Addy felt her stomach drop, "Er...Yes. She was the...best situation out of the options I was presented with....After you said no, of course!" He tacked the last bit onto the end as he realized how offensive he words could have come across.

"How so?" Addy asked, feeling a bit vindicated. She wondered why she felt so possessive of him. She'd never been this way with any of her other friends...not that she'd ever had many.

Anduin nodded, "She's engaged. I think.." He mumbled, his forehead furrowed, "They were fighting at the ball. Apparently he was jealous I was escorting her, so he brought a date which made her upset because apparently she'd explained that it was all politics. So then she tried to use me to get back at him and..." He trailed off, shacking his head, "Castle drama escapes me sometimes."

"What did she do?" Addy asked, curious.

"Pardon?" He asked as he walked over, seating himself beside her in front of the fireplace. Addy tried not to jump as his leg touched hers and discreetly adjusted so they were a bit further apart.

She cleared her throat, "You said she tried to get back at him? What did she do?" 

Anduin coughed and looked pained, "She er...kissed me."

Addy raised an eyebrow, almost impressed with the girl's gall, "She kissed you?"

"Yes." Anduin looked incredibly uncomfortable and Addy couldn't help but poke him a bit.

"Was it your first?"

"What?" Anduin startled, "No. No, I'm twenty. I've kissed before. It was just...it was in front of my father."

Addy frowned, worried, "Was he not happy?"

"He was ecstatic!" Anduin groaned, dropping his face into his hands, "He hasn't' stoped teasing me about it. He started going on about his 'little boy growing' up at dinner with Genn the other night and I almost stabbed him with a fork."

Addy felt a laugh escape her before she could stop it at the visual of the High King with a fork sticking out of his hand, with a very angry Anduin steaming beside him. She felt a snort escape her in the midst of her laughter and she clapped a hand over her mouth, flushing. Anduin had a small smile on his face as well.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

"It's alright." Anduin chuckled, "I just felt bad for her lover. I think he might've punched me if I...well, If I wasn't who I was."

"Do you want me to punch her?" Addy offered, only half joking, "I could do it - I'm very strong now. I could defend your honour."

Anduin laughed outright at that, "Oh no, I heard what you did that Pit Lord in Ironforge, I think I'll spare her."

"Well then." Addy sat up straighter, trying to look as important as possible, "I'll need a list of everyone you've kissed - If I'm to defend your honour I'll need to start right away."

As soon as she spoke he froze, his eyes far away. Then as soon as it happened he was back, laughing along with er, "You don't have to worry about that. Most people who kiss me just do I because I'm the Prince. It's all politics." He repeated what Lady Margaret had told her lover, sounding a bit bitter.

"Well hadn't there been anyone you liked?" Addy asked with a frown.

"Maybe." Anduin shrugged, his eyes sad, "There was this girl, from Ironforge, but...she passed away a number of years ago. But it can be hard to know who's attracted to you, or to your title." He explained it like it was nothing, but Addy felt her heard breaking for the Prince. She couldn't imagine being in that position. Not know who was your real friend, or your real lover...She suddenly felt honoured that he apparently thought of her as a friend.

"Is that why your father had me followed?" She asked, suddenly not feeling as mad about the whole thing.

Anduin huffed, rolling his eyes, "Partially. He's also an overprotective ass sometimes."

Addy jumped and whipped around like the King would be standing right behind her. She flushed when she realized what she'd done and looked back at Anduin who had both eyebrows raised in amusement.

"You don't have to be afraid of my father you know." Anduin assured her, "He looks scary, but that's just his 'King' face. He's not really that bad.'

"To you maybe." Addy grumbled, "Did he at least punch them?"

Anduin furrowed his eyebrows, tilting his head, "Who?"

"Whichever assholes broke your trust in humanity apparently." Addy rolled her eyes, "I promise, we're not all that bad."

"Ah." Anduin looked pained again, but there was also a fond look in his eyes, "No, no...I believe I will have that honour myself, if I ever see them again."

"Well then." Addy shifted a bit closer subconsciously, "Whoever they are, you shouldn't let them bother you. You're a good person, and I think you'd know if someone really liked you...you have good instincts."

"I haven't before." He grumbled, before shrugging, his hair creating shadows across his face, "It doesn't matter. I have been kissed before - but not by anyone I believe liked me for me."

"Do you think you'd know the difference?" Addy asked, legitimately curious. She supposed she'd never been kissed by someone using her for something, well...other than sex. She imagined there wouldn't be the same emotion, or passion, or fight for dominance.

Anduin paused, the shadows of the fire dancing across his face before he slowly nodded, "I'd hope so."

Addy nodded, and then before her better judgement could stop her she leaned across him and pressed a firm, if rather chaste kiss onto his lips, before pulling away to watch his reaction.

His mouth was open a bit, his eyes wide and faced a bit flushed, "W-Why did you do that?"

Addy frowned, not sure what he wasn't understanding, "You wanted to kiss someone who genuinely liked you to see if you could tell the different." Addy explained. Hadn't they just had this conversation?

"I...well, yeah!" Anduin stuttered, "But that doesn't count! I wasn't ready."

"You weren't ready?" Addy scoffed, "What does that even mea-!"

Anduin leaned over her and buried one of his hands into her hair, pressing his lips to her with startling passion. Addy blinked for a moment, surprised, but then narrowed her eyes in challenge. Is that how he wanted to play it?

She pressed forward, kissing him back with equal ferocity and cupped her hands over his cheeks before trailing them down where they landed on his chest, which was firmer than any priest's had any right to be. If he thought he could beat her at this game he was sorely mistaken.

He pulled away and Addy made a small sound of victory, thinking she'd won...whatever they were doing, but that was taken away a moment later when she felt him trail his lips down her neck.

"Oh..." Addy let out a small sound of surprise. Yeah he'd definitely done this before. She wondered if the scarred, half melted skin on her neck made her more sensitive. Her breath hitched slightly, as he nibbled at the skin behind her ear.

She felt a burst of hot air against his neck and Addy realized he was laughing. She gritted her teeth - he was winning again!

Feeling brave and maybe a bit reckless, Addy reached up to the laces at the top of his tunic, and pulled it loose.

She felt him falter in surprise and she bit her tongue through her teeth to keep from giggling as she trailed a tingle finger over the exposed skin.

There was a sharp knock at the door, "Anduin?"

They jumped apart with force Addy didn't know possible. She all but fled across from the room as her entire face burned bright red with embarrassment and horror. What on earth had she been thinking?! She'd been having fun, doing some harmless flirting, nothing she hadn't done before. But this was with the Prince! 

Moving as one, Addy jumped behind a wardrobe, hiding as Anduin straightened himself and opened the door, poking his head out.

"Father?" He asked and Addy felt a bit smug at how heavy and thick his voice was. 

Anduin moved mostly into the hallway so he could speak privately with his father and Addy felt like slamming her head against the wall as they spoke. She waited, not darling to move and inch, and she could tell that Anduin was trying to rush his father out. She wished he'd be a little less obvious about it.

"Well then..." His father sounded suspicious and Addy held her breathe "Good night, Son."

"You as well Father" Anduin spoke softly.

There was quite, and then the squeak of the door slowly closing. Addy let out a breathe of relief and dropped against the wardrobe.

"Good night to you as well, Miss Fairchild."

Addy squeaked and screwed her face into a painful grimace. She slowly peeked out from her hiding space, her flaming red face kept firmly on the ground.  
"Your Majesty." She mumbled, wringing her hands in front of her.

There was a low chuckle and then the door shut.

Addy groaned, her entire body relaxing and she buried her face into her hands. Looking through her fingers she saw Anduin leaning against the heavy oak door, looking a bit traumatized.

"I should go." Addy spoke, her voice sounding a bit panicked. She looked around the room for her cloak, before remembering that she didn't bring one and moved quickly towards the door that Anduin was leaning against.

"You don't have to." Anduin sounded sad.

She paused looking over to him. He hadn't bothered to retie his tunic and she flushed red as she saw his exposed skin.

"I really do." She mumbled, "Before your father comes back and kills me for deflowering his only son."

Anduin laughed, "I hardly need 'deflowering', or my father to protect my honour." He walked closer until he was standing in front of her, helping to adjust her white scarf which had fallen to expose her scars.

"I wouldn't have guessed that." Addy mumbled, looking down as she let him work.

Anduin chuckled, his breath blowing against her face, "I should be insulted, but I get that a lot."

Addy blushed, she hadn't meant to speak out loud, "I didn't mean-"

"We should do this again."

Addy paused, narrowing her eyes at him, "Spend time together? Or..."

"The other stuff too." Anduin looked far more ruffled than she'd ever seen him. His face was red and it made him look far more alive than she'd ever seen him. Less like the stuffy stone block Prince he always seemed.

But at the same time she remembered very clearly that he was, in fact, the Prince.

She swallowed, feeling a bit sad herself, "I don't know if it's such a good idea."

"Probably not." Anduin mumbled, a small frown marring his face before a wide beaming grin burst out, "Want to do it anyways?"

Addy couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, and she shook her head at his large smile. 

She moved around him, opening the door and peeking her head out into the hall to make sure his father wasn't lurking. But no one was there, save for the two guards who looked like they were hiding smiles of their own.

Before she popped out she turned and looked back of him, giving him a teasing grin.

"Maybe."

***  
Addy had a stupid grin on her face as she walked into The Slaughtered Lamb. The walk back home had helped to calm her down a bit. The King hadn't seemed too mad, after all, and it was just a bit of harmless flirting and kissing. Anduin hadn't seemed to take ti very seriously either. She was fairly certain that nothing would come of it.

Mr Tim was behind the counter, for once, drying glasses with a rag. He raised a single eyebrow as she walked in before, a small smirk crossed his face, "Fun night?"

Addy immediately narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She pointed a finger at him, "What do you know?"

He chuckled, putting the cup back onto the wooden counter, "Your neck."

Addy slapped her hand to her neck, then hurriedly ran behind the counter, grabbing a metal platter and holding it, looking at her reflection. She pushed her hair aside and quickly scanned the scarred tissue.

"Son of a bitch..." She mumbled, her mouth dropping open as she stared at a rather large series of marks that littered her neck over her scars. She hadn't thought it would be possible to see love marks over the darkened scar tissue.

Mr. Tim shook his head, "I sure hope you know what you're doing, girl."

"What?" Addy let her hair fall, her face bright red as she avoided eye-contact. "It was nothing. What's some kissing between friends?"

He snorted, "I wish I had the kind of friends you've had."

Addy couldn't help but laugh, thinking about the kind of people she'd seen coming in through the bar - she didn't think she'd kiss any of them either.

"No matter." Addy pointed to her neck, "This is entirely unacceptable."

"Why?" Mr Tim grunted, "You cover your neck most days anyway."

"Not that." Addy scoffed, adjusting her scarf in annoyance, reminding how smug he'd looked a she left earlier that night. "It means that he won."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright look...Sometimes I don't update fics for 6 months. It happens.
> 
> So I've hinted at it a few times, but I'm just gonna get this out here. I headcanon Anduin as Bisexual? So just because this is an Anduin/fem!oc fic doesn't really change that for me. So yes, the previous relationship that Anduin speaks of is Wrathion, but for now he's not gonna take a major part in this story.
> 
> Also while I know some lore and shit, I'm no loremaster, so there might be a bunch of shit wrong with this chapter but this is how it's gonna be.
> 
> Also I've started reading Before the Storm, the new BFA prequel. It's alright, but i'm not super far into it. Im more than a little worried about what they're planning for Anduin, but I'll just have to wait and see like everyone.
> 
> Hopefully I'll update sooner this time. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and commented last chapter, and all the people who asked me if I was going to continue this story. I am, but it makes me feel all warm that people care.
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> Ash


	23. The Westfall Representative

Several Months Ago - Christmas Eve

The warm winds blew through the bay. Tess wished she could toss off her woollen cloak, but it was needed to hide her face. She wasn't as recognizable as some of the other nobles, but she couldn't risk someone finding her here.

Her father believed she had travelled to Teldrassil to spend the holiday's with her mother. Her mother believed her to have stayed in Stormwind with her father. She hated lying to her own parents, but such duplicity was necessary. This was a mission no one could know about, not even the King...

The wooden boards under her feet creaked as she walked along the haphazards planks that created the labyrinth that was the city of Booty Bay. She could hear the sounds of drunken sea shanties and the smell of salt and fish filled the warm air. The only light was from the occasional hanging lantern and the bright shining moon and stars that reflected over the calm southern sea.

She approached the Salty Sailor Tavern hesitantly. It didn't have the best reputation, even by her normal standards. Pirates and privateers and other unsavoury sorts took port here and spent their plundered gold on booze, breasts and betting. 

She squared her shoulders and pushed her way into the bar.

It was loud. Members of every known race were present from a Goblin smoking something strange in the corner, to a female Draenei holding a troll by his the front of his shirt and screaming at him to pay up, to a Pandaren laying on the ground drinking directly from a barrel of beer.

Tess moved through them, one hand on her dagger and the other on her change purse. Her eyes flickered through each person, trying to find the man her contact had promised was here.

She spotted him in a quieter corner, lounging against the wooden wall, his white shirt open, exposing his chest and a crooked pirate hat on his head. His heavy boots where propped up on the table and he seemed to be watching the bar with a look of amusement.

Tess slid into the table across from him, "Admiral."

He didn't look surprised to see her. Tess supposed her contact had probably told him - rouges weren't exactly known for their loyalty.

"Princess." He raised his glass in salute.

Tess hissed, looking to see if anyone had heard him. She wasn't surprised that he knew, but she wished he wouldn't shout it to the world.

"It's Theresa." She snapped at him. 

He held up his hands in a mock surrender, " 'pologies, Highness. I heard you wanted to talk to me." He had a southern accent - and an uneducated one at that, but she expected little from the new leader of the Bloodsail Buccaneers. But she'd heard that despite his outward appearance, he was deadly cunning.

"I've been told you have information about the uncrowned." She got right into the point. She'd been looking for any source of the information since she got the strange message from the prostitute. It had been difficult, she hadn't wanted to use SI:7, since she wasn't entirely sure she could trust them. Using a network of bandits and thieves and pirates had lead her to Tethys, whom they all said had a connection to the strange society.

He raised an eyebrow, smirking lightly as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Maybe."

Tess felt a burning annoyance, and gritted her teeth as she used all of her training to stay polite, "I was contacted by them. They hinted that they have information regarding a breach of security in Stormwind."

Tethys raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, his feet dropping off the table as he leaned forward in a single swift move that was far more graceful than the large man should be capable of. He leaned in close enough that Tess could smell the tobacco on his breathe and whispered.

"The demons are inside the walls."

Tess froze, blinking in surprise, "I....Yes, how did you know that?"

"What I know, is that the only people who know about the uncrowned...are those they want to know about it." He looked her up and down, obviously unimpressed, "For whatever reason, they think you're trustworthy, I think it has yet to be proven which side you're on."

"I'm not working for the Legion if that's what you mean." Tess let her voice darken, glaring at the man.

"It's not." He leaned further back in his chair, "The uncrowned obviously don't want you to know more."

"Then who can I trust." She snapped at him, "They came to me with this information - not the King or the Prince or Shaw or my father or anyone else who might have the power to do something. I assume that means because none of them can be trusted." Her heart hurt to think about her father being compromised, but she knew it was something she had to consider.

Tethys rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowed inn concentration, "Alright then, little one. Here's a test for you. The one person you can trust is Garona Halforcen."

She had startled rather dramatically at that, "Garona...but...?"

"And therein lies the test." He leaned forward, grabbing his ale and tagging a swig, "Which side are you on?"

***

Present Day

Anduin had been in good spirits when his father had cornered him. He had been whistling under his breath, smiling wildly at Jem and Sarah, two of the guards that stood outside his room regularly. He opened the door, slipping inside, only to jump as he saw his father standing in front of the hearth, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed in a way that made Anduin aware that he was in trouble.

"I didn't do it." He spoke immediately, trying to think about anything he could have done in the last few days that would have earned that kind of look. The only thing he could think of was...

Anduin groaned.

"Oh light! We're not going to have another 'talk' are we?" Anduin rubbed his forehead, "The last one was very traumatic and I don't think Genn has ever recovered."

His father snorted lightly, which made Anduin relax. Obviously he wasn't in that much trouble. In fact he was now starting to realize his father was just posturing to make him nervous. So Anduin ignored him and wandered over to his desk, grabbing a bronze pitcher of wine and started to pour a few glasses. 

"We are both adults." Anduin spoke, "And whatever happens between us is none of your business." Anduin winced as he realized how childish he sounded but didn't let up. He knew his father's continued insistence to barge into his relationships was making Addy nervous, and he didn't want to giver a reason to jump ship. She was skittish like a deer that way - a very strong, powerful deer who would slice a pit lord open...

"And if she got pregnant?"

Anduin choked on his wine, sputtering madly as he struggled to clear his airway, "What! No...we- What did you think was going on in here?" Anduin felt his entire face go flaming red as he stumbled over his words.

His father rolled his eyes, "I am imagining a great deal of things, I was your age, once."

Anduin wrinkled his nose, "I don't want to know that. Besides, weren't you betrothed at a young age?"

"Yes." His father chuckled, moving to sit on the same sofa he and Addy had been sitting on a few days before. "However me and your mother, we didn't know each other very well in our youth." Varian got a sad look on his face, that he always did when talking about Anduin's mother. But at least these day's he could actually talk about her. "It wasn't common for betrothed men and women to have, well...partners, before the marriage."

Anduin raised an eyebrow, "And mother was okay with this?"

Varian snorted, "What makes you think I'm the only one who dabbled? Tiffin had a very negative opinion of me in her youth, and made her opinion clear to her parents at every turn. It was only when we were much older that we fell in love."

Anduin smiled, savouring this moment - one of the few times he heard about the woman who gave birth to him. 

But he still had a point to prove.

"Well there was none of...that." Anduin assured his father, "It wasn't like that. It was just a friendly...kiss."

His father looked unconvinced, swirling the wine in his cup and downing the rest of it, "I'm not going to lecture you about what you do or do not do with this girl. I made the decision long ago that I would let you have relationships for love rather than circumstance. However..." His father stood, his face serious, "Please remember, that you are the crowned Prince of Stormwind. And one day, hopefully a long long time from now, you will be the High King of the Alliance. Nothing will ever be as private for you as you wish it to be, and if you pursue this girl, nothing will be private for her either. Already people have an interest in her due to her friendship with you...I urge you, my son. Be careful."

Anduin took his words in solemnly. It was everything that he already knew, but had pushed to the back of his mind as he had carelessly rushed into his friendship with Addy. His father was right. Addy would hate to be in the spotlight that would come from a serious relationship with him, it could never happen...

Varian walked over to him and clasped a hand down on his shoulder, "That does not mean you have to stop spending time with her, or having your..." He waved his cup around, "Friendship kisses. But, son, please make sure she knows what she's getting into."

***

Two days later, as Addy was stealthy picking some of the flowers from the Mage garden for her bedroom, a guard in a horse hair plume walked up to her, wearing a tabard that identified him as a member of the royal guard.

"Miss Fairchild." He spoke.

Addy shoved the flowers behind her back, trying not to look guilty "Yes?"

The man raised an eyebrow, his lip twitching, but otherwise didn't say anything. "A summons." He handed her a scroll and Addy felt her face pale.

Oh light, this was it. The King was summoning her to answer for her crimes against his son - she was dead. She was such an idiot, what had she been thinking?

Of course, she didn't actually think the King would kill or hurt her...much - but there was a nagging sense in her stomach that he thought she wasn't good enough for his son (a very real possibility), and would therefore forbid her from spending any time with him. The thought filled her with dread. Anduin was one of the few people she actually liked spending time with. He didn't mind when she rambled a bit, didn't treat her like an idiot for not knowing some very basic things, and despite her rude and generally unapproachable attitude he seemed to enjoy spending time with her as well.

The guard walked away leaving Addy with a sinking pit in her gut.

She took the letter to Mr Tim, not wanting to take it to the scribe she usually used.

Tim took one glance at the letter and sighed, just holding out his hand. She held it out gingerly, like it might explode at any minute. He licked his finger and opened the scroll, his eyes flickering over the words quickly as Addy wrung her hands and chewed her lip nervously.

"What's it say?" She asked.

Mr. Tim closed it and handed it back, "A meeting, with the King - a rather informal one, relatively speaking. It's a summons to the petitioning chamber, for the day after tomorrow, at noon."

Addy let out a whine, "That sounds bad, is that bad?"

Mr Tim sighed, leaning on the counter rubbing his forehead, "Normally? No, it's a basic citizen's summons. Happens all the time. But considering you're shagging the King's son...?"

Addy choked, "Excuse me? I am not..." She looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone in the bar before lowing her voice to a whisper, "Shagging him!" She hissed.

"Or it has something to do with your meeting with a Horde spy and the little peace summit you help set up." He pointed out.

Addy paused, feeling her heart rate slow. He was right, she was being stupid. Surely the King had better thing's to do than worry about who his son was spending time with. She sighed and grabbed the scroll, curling it back up and slipping it into her dress, before she moved behind the counter and got started on washing the same dishes she washed every day, with not a customer to be found.

***

The castle looked far more intimidating than it had any other time she was here, but luckily for her she didn't have to go far, at one of the first doors after the entrance to the keep was the petitioner's chamber, where the king performed meetings with nobles and the public. Two very intimidating guards stood in front of the entrance and she passed them nervously. Inside the room was a very large table, with a green velvet tablecloth placed over it. It was covered in candles, parchments and rolls, stacked books and maps. In the middle of the table the King stood. Surrounding him and the table was a large group of people, some arguing and others writing notes, and others whispering to each other quietly.

Not wanted to interrupt Addy stayed near the door, clinging to the wall as she waited for the crowd to clear out.

Eventually Anduin, who she hadn't even seen he was so crowded by people, managed to calm the room down. He made eye contact with her over the crowd and Addy nervously pulled at the ties on her blue dress. She saw the silk gowns with gold and silver threads, beautiful embroidered patterns and velvet as soft as the fur lining it. Her simple hard woollen dress over her cotton slip seemed very out of place in such a room.

Anduin didn't seem to mind. He walked over to his father and lean down, whispering in his ear. The King's head snapped up, and he let out what seemed like a breathe of relief.

"Ladies and Gentlemen." The King straightened, "We'll have to finish another time, I have another appointment I must see too."

The nobles grumbled audibly, muttering to each other as they all filed out of the room. Addy stood there awkwardly, trying to ignore the curious glances they sent her as they moved.

Once they'd all left Anduin turned to his father, "I thought you were going to wait until the end of the day for this?"

"Huh." The King sounded unapologetic, "Must've been a mistake, double booked. Oh well, they're gone now." Anduin shook his head, and Addy had to stop herself from giggling from the defeated look on his face.

All humour left her as the King turned his attention on her, "Miss Fairchild." He motioned for her to come forward.

Addy gathered her dress and slowly approached, trying not to look as horribly nervous as she felt. She buried her hands into her skirt to stop them from shaking.

"Your Majesty." She tried to speak clearly and not mumble, dropping into a deep, if not badly balanced curtsey.

The King didn't speak for a few moments, his eyes narrowed as he studied her. Addy swallowed and tried to keep her breathing even. 

When the silence was just about to become awkward, the King spoke, "What are you intentions with my son?"

Addy's mouth dropped open and Anduin reached forward, smacking his Father on the head, "Father!" Anduin snapped, his own face bright red, "You promised!"

"Alright, Alright." The King had a small grin on his face, "It was a joke. I'm kidding."

Addy let out a nervous chuckle, feeling even more out of place than she had before. It felt strange to see this side of the King - the playful fatherly side. She felt like a stranger interrupting a private moment.

"Er....If I may ask, why am I here, your majesty?" Addy asked, proud that her voice didn't shake as she desperately tried to change the topic.

"Yes, to the point." The King walked around the table and Addy, if possible, straightened even further. "As you know, we're going to be meeting with Horde leadership in the coming weeks to negotiate the...lowering of strict borders in affected areas." He looked like he'd swallowed a lemon "For the meetings we're bringing in civilian representatives from each area and we were hoping you'd be willing to attend."

Addy blinked as she filtered over what the King said, and then immediately turned to fix a glare on Anduin.

The Prince raised his hands, "I didn't have anything to do with it."

Addy wasn't sure she believed him - she got the sense that even if he hadn't outright suggested her, he'd lead his father to make the decision himself. He could be sneaky when he wanted to be.

"This is more of a security issue." The King continued, "The less people know the better - since you are already aware it's an obvious choice. You're free to refuse of course."

Addy kept her narrowed eyes on Anduin, who was trying to look innocuous. She thought about Father Samuel, who she'd been planning to join back up with once this summit was over. He had told her to stay in Stormwind, but also that he hadn't any plans until the summit was over. And her other option was sitting around the city.

She turned back to the King, giving a diplomatic nod. "I'm...honoured for this opportunity your Majesty. I accept."

"Perfect." The King beamed, "Well that's one more thing checked off my list."

He stood up and Addy lowered her head, bowing and stepping to the side. She gave another clumsy curtsey and a muttered, "Your Majesty."

"Er-" Anduin rushed forward, "I'll escort you out." He offered her.

Addy glared at him again, but nodded, knowing she could hardly refuse such a generous offer in front of the King.

The King gave them both a polite nod, turning to look at Anduin with a meaningful look that made him flush. She looked down and refused to meet anyone's eyes until the King was gone and it was just her and Anduin with a handful of guards standing against the walls, silently.

Addy marched up to Anduin and smacked his chest, "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything." He held up his hands in surrender, that goofy grin still on his face, "I swear. It was actually his idea."

"Well you could have warned me." Addy crossed her arms, "I thought I was coming to my death or something - mysterious summons from the King? After the lat time I was here?"

Anduin looked like he was fighting a smile, "My father doesn't care that much who I spend my time with - after they've been vetted." he mumbled the second bit under his breath.

"And...the other stuff?" She asked, again, not meeting his eyes. She wasn't sure why she was so embarrassed. It was just a kiss, it wasn't anything. Part of her wondered if it was because he was so noble and well done up most of the time. He sure hadn't been then. He had been surprisingly rough instead of his normal gentle persona, his hair was been disheveled, his tunic untied and a light flush over his skin.

Just like now, "Er...I don't think he cares much about that per se." He admitted. "I may have insinuated it was a more...innocent affair."

Addy snorted, "You make it sound more scandalous than it was." She pointed out, "Best be careful lest you create more palace drama."

Anduin eyed the soldiers in the room with a wince, "Noted."

Addy felt the need to change the topic to something a bit more innocent, "So the meeting, where is it?"

"Pandaria." Anduin answered immediately, his face beaming with happiness, "The Celestial Court on the Timeless Isle. It's neutral ground."

Addy was surprised, but it seemed obvious to her afterwards. Then she felt a burst of excitement. She'd never left the Eastern Kingdoms before, and to go somewhere as fantastic as Pandaria! She'd never imagined she'd get to go somewhere like that.

"Pandaria?" She beamed, "Really?"

"Yes." He grinned back at her, before his smile faltered for just a moment, "I should warn you, however. The horde will be there. I know that sounds obvious, but they will have civilians as well and it is expected that everyone act civilly."

Addy chuckled a bit, wondering what kind of hoops they'd have to go through for that to work out. "I don't have much animosity to the Horde, at least on a personal level. I'll be perfectly polite."

Anduin cleared his throat, "Yes well, I just wanted to warn you because, well. There will be undead there."

Undead? Addy frowned as they left the petitioner's chamber and started to walk down the large hall to the entrance. Why would she be bothered...

"Because of my parents?" She realized, confused, but also touched that he had remembered.

"Partially." He nodded, "I was...uncertain, of how you held the forsaken in response to the attacks of the scourge."

Her grandfather had hated them. He had been very loud in his views, saying they were monsters and untrustworthy. That they must still be under the Lich King's control and that one day they'd kill us all. In his drunk rambles he'd said that denying them entrance to the Alliance was the only good thing Varian Wrynn had ever done.

But personally? Her grandfather hadn't lived long enough to see the end of the Lich King, but she had. Obviously the forsaken weren't under his control, and they hadn't had anything to do with her parents death - in fact, many of them may have been her neighbours and family friends in her childhood.

She shrugged, "Arthas killed my parents. He's dead. I have no need for grudges."

Anduin had a small smile on his face as he walked, "I wish more people were like you. Just between us, we've had to reject a few people based on previous bias. Hatred for the Horde runs deep."

"Fear of the Legion runs deeper." Addy added, "Anyone who doesn't understand that is an idiot."

Anduin sighed, "So many haven't seen the might of the Legion. I haven't even seen it, and it's right here on our backdoor. For some it's hard to fear what they haven't seen. It's an idea, a construct. Not until a demon is standing before them will they understand what they should have all along. It's up to us to show that fear for them, in the hopes that they will never know it."

Addy stared at him, knowing that she was looking at Anduin the Prince. No wonder the people loved him, he had a way with words that others could only dream of. 

A sinking feeling entered her chest and she looked at him, wide eyed, "Are you going to fight? In the field?" She felt her stomach leap to her throat at the thought.

Anduin shrugged, "Doubtful, there's no way my father would allow it. But even if I was, it would be as a medic, not a fighter."

Addy felt a bit sick at the thought. Anduin didn't belong in battle. He was too...bright, and innocent, for the dirt and fear and blood of battle. The thought of him standing beside her in Ironforge, with nothing but his healer's robes between him and a sword made her swallow.

"Hopefully not." Addy spoke softly.

Anduin didn't seem to notice her internal panic, "Hopefully there won't be many more battles and this entire summit will be without need. Khadgar is still searching for the location of their foothold and how to shut it down. If we close down their portal we can hold them off, at least for a while..."

Addy nodded at what went unsaid. If we can't hope to beat the Legion, then they needed to hold them off. Hopefully they wouldn't return for a while.

Or least, not within their lifetimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, super short chapter! But this stuff didn't quite fit in the last chapter and didn't fit into the next one so It get it's own little chapter! I love writing conversations between Varian and Anduin, I think it's my therapy (Still not over the broken shore 2k18)
> 
> Note - I know the Lich King isn't technically dead, but I also think that that's not something Addy would know?
> 
> Feel free to follow me on tumblr at anduinnwyrnn. I make gifs and stupid jokes that aren't very funny and sometimes i draw addy doodles and post them, but not that often. Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing the response has been so great thank you to everyone who stuck with me through that little break!
> 
> Until Next Time,
> 
> Ash


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